Arthur Dent, #Puritan, cites Job 24, where the poor fear an oppressor, as animals would a lion. Poor shepherds, labourers, and widows do tremble in the face of those who act out of greed like wolves. This is in a book on spiritual development. Out of place today? How can you help the working poor?

John Castelman says to love neighbors & enemies, as Christ died for sinners. Matthew 25 also says love to brethren is a test of love to God. Would we want some other test of our love to God? Do you hear other tests being pushed upon us today, like hours of bible reading? #christian

William Arnot, of the #churchofScotland, comments on revealed laws from heaven. He says enslavers cannot push African people away from humanity without also losing their own humanity. Some nowadays are upset that the slavery was so bad. How can you consider the humanity of all?

Jacob Merrill Manning was a #Congregationalist minister and army chaplain. Here he extols qualities from the life of Jesus. Are mot every one the exact opposite of #ChristianNationalism and biblical #manhood? Are we reading the same bible? How can you shine out in the life of Christ? #Christian

Samuel Crothers, a #Presbyterian minister, mocks idea that the apostles never mentioned #slavery. We got James. Read and weep, o slaveholders. How can you say something about it?

James Meikle, Scottish #devotional writer, says after reading lots of scripture, he says the bible (Lu 6:24 and Ja 5) have warnings to the rich. Are we all reading the same #bible? How can you revel in God’s promises?

Samuel Hopkins, #Congregationalist, says unjust treatment of the Indians by individual Americans harms national security. So be nice. Today, simple decency and security are painted as being at odds. How can you be just?

Hans Egede, #Lutheran missionary, says Greenlanders rejected Christianity cuz saw fighting and abuse among Xians. Voddie Baucham, OTOH, said you can’t love Christ and hate his Bride. IOW, circle the wagons. How can you look upon one another to be of the same kind? #christian

William Whately, #Puritan, says the covetous hoard for another to take (Eccl 6:1-6). The miser shows their soul has dropsy. Is failure to give still a spiritual problem, or is the problem in mentioning it today? What comforts can your servants (your DoorDash drivers) afford? #christian #wealth

Jeremiah was a #Puritan. God is exalted when mercy is glorified, as in the sharing of bread. Have we met people who want to spend time glorifying God at the expense or indifference to the kind of mercy the Puritans were talking about? How can you glorify mercy? #Christian #mercy #glory

James William Massie, a #nondenominational #missionary, saw persecution of the Black church in the US. Same happened in recent Charlottesville riots: the black church was on their list. Would your gospel upset those who’ve heard too much about humanity? Have you seen the places? #christian

John Calvin, a #Calvinist, claims from the time of Amos to his day, sellers took advantage of the poor. But that has stopped, yes, no more need for preacher’s meddling, today, right? How can you provide extra help when want presses upon the common people? #poverty #business

John Boys, #Anglican, notes one detail, to lay, from story of Lazarus (Lk 16), highlights the inhumanity of rich man and patience of the poor. Do we want to be responsible for those who patiently expect from us? How can you consider how your inhumanity might be measured? #poverty

James Balmford, #Presbyterian, urged sick Christians to stay home during the plauge. God can find your bedside, so don’t worry. With COVD-19, those who claim traditional theology had the exact opposite approach of Balmford. #johnmacarthur How can you humble yourself under God’s hand? #christian

Albert Barnes, #Presbyterian, says many Christians are as guilty of stinginess as was Ananias from Acts 5. How can you examine yourself more faithfully? #giving

John Cook, Canadian #Presbyterian, writes on dangers of poverty and riches. He condemns shoplifting, and then selling intoxicants to the poor, which only aggravates their sufferings. How can you avoid temptations in acquiring things? #christian

George Burder, organizer of #missionaries, says some have King Saul’s (1Sam24) attitude to prisoners, but God’s love motivates merciful treatment. Would a proponent of loving prisoners be allowed to lead a bible society today? How can you subdue them w/ the arms of love? #christian #prisons

Junius Benjamin Remensnyder, #Lutheran, says early Church joyfully sacrificed for the poor, and so followed Christ (R 15:3), and Paul (Ph 2:4). How can you look upon the things of others, how can you truly treasure the orphans and widows in your midst? #christian

Sebastian Benefield, #Calvinist, advises employers not to ignore worker complaints, because Job, seeing common flesh, viewed it as sin. St. Ambrose (340- 397) agreed. Today, are employee complains a cross to bear? How can you consider that service workers who support you are of the same flesh?

Ralph Wardlaw, #Congregationalist, says that the greedy may soak up everything and want more, like a parched land (Prov 30:16). This is the curse of pleasure, ambition. Anything like this happening today? How can you “bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is tilled” (Heb 6:7) ? #greed

Martin Bucer, Reformer, says if feeding the hungry is feeding Christ (cf Mt 25), then the magistrate should tax extravagant spending on “spiritual Promotions”. The logical outcome of Christian Nationalism: Gov’t oversight of Christmas pageants? How can you minister to the hungry Christ? #christmas

Francis Grimke, #Presbyterian, quotes Joseph Parker (1830-1902). To remain quiet in critical times lest lose business will be intolerable in the day of judgment. How can you live a life such that your public witness inspires those who come along 30 years later, and suffer far more than you do?

James Balmford was a #Presbyterian elder. Here he discusses the plague, and the appropriate Christian response. He says the one thing you must not do (and would this be swearing?) is to deny that it is contagious. Any modern parallels? How can you affirm truth? #humanity #christian #reformed

Jeremy Taylor, #CoE minister, says holy living involves taking less for yourself, so there would be more for the poor, “according to the manner of Christianity”. Thus we’ll need less of an inheritance tax. How can you make your proportions moderate and easy? #christian #kindness #taxes

John Calvin, a #Calvinist, says that by “neighbor” (Good Samaritan), God meant the whole of the human species. A conservative preacher was saying to care about mistreatment of foreigners was to neglect your family. How can you consider the whole of the human species? #Christian #reformedtheology

Daniel Dana, #Presbyterian, quotes Senator Henry Clay. Slavery is a curse to the master, and a grievous wrong to the enslaved person. It is all wrong, and no contingency can make it right. Facebook friends were calling it a literacy program. How can you excise yourself from grievous wrongs?

Granville Sharp founded a #Bible Society. He says Isaiah 10:1-3 applies to those who promote the African slave trade or would oppress coal miners. It‘s worse if a comfortable legislator approves these. Any of these on the radar today? How can you advocate against unrighteous decrees? #christian

James Walker Hood, #AMEZion bishop, says the two parables from Matthew 25 both warn of not working out salvation with repentance, repentance, faith, practical godliness, nor charity. Faith without works, amirite? How can you heed these duties?

Theodore Dwight Weld, seminary founder, says that slavery so corrupted the culture that it spilled out into hate and violence to all. He commiserates with the plight of Mormons in MO. How can you reevaluate or tweak your primary causes based on the character of the people associated with it?

Matthew Henry, English minister, encourages communicants to examine their charity and affection for all people before communing (1 Thessalonians 3:12). Would some object to this today? How can you grow in love? #eucharist #communion #christian

John Charles Ryle, #evangelical bishop, says some will roast for not feeding Jesus (M 25:41). Even Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656) repented of sins of omission. Some today are a bit too aroused by idea of hell, w/o the M25 reasons for getting there. How can you consider your sins of omission?

Tinker Reuben, #Presbyterian, says bible so opposed to freedom, that the RC hierarchy, as well as enslavers, forbade free access to it. How can you learn about oppression and #freedom, and try to see cases where your opponents have valid, even biblical arguments in their grievances?

David Bogue, #missionary leader, says the divine authority of the New Testament shown in that it declares war against all evil dispositions: adultery, murder, and injustice. Some today would say no inheritance for meddling kids. How can you have enmity with the evil dispositions of your own heart?

John Flavel, English #Puritan, says you may imagine reasons an enemy needs pabacyk, but God says to feed them. How can you break God’s command? Today, it seems more prone to warn you of shirking your duty as protector if you won’t make a preemptive strike. How can you repress such sinful motions?

Thomas Fuller, #Anglican, says he cannot heal all those with impediments, but he can offer a tongue to those with speech difficulties, not only amplifying their voice but offering his own pleading for their cause. Is advocacy generally unfavored today? How can you amplify a voice? #christian

Richard Allestree, #Anglican, says charity requires relieving, not gazing at the sick & imprisoned. He who did this was not accepted by God. Do we today even try to get the poor away from us, so that we don’t even have to look at them? How can you comfort and relieve them? #goodsamaritan #bible

Albert Barnes, #Presbyterian, says that Hebrew slavery, unlike the American system, had no restriction on learning to read, separation of families, killing escapees. Today, we have leaders of conservative Christendom saying that slavery was not that bad. How can you speak up for the oppressed?

Daniel Atkins Tyng inspired the hymn, Standup for Jesus. He says liquor sellers have a moral culpability for those they kill. But maybe not when it’s pesticides or tobacco, according to conservatives today? How can you consider the effects of that which you buy and sell? #christian #productsafety

Donald Sage Mackay, #Reformed pastor, suggests a devotional life of prayer, self-examination, daily acts of #kindness. Could also heal class resentments. Could we complain less about the other, and go help, even if you’re in the lower ones? How can you strengthen faith, conscience, and love?

Martin Luther, a #Lutheran, says a Christian must serve the undeserving, evil-doers, enemies, and ungrateful, like God does (Mt 6:32-4). Today, simply ungratefulness is reason to cut one off. How can you let your liberality serve underserving and evil-doers? #christian

Matthew Newcomen, nonconformist pastor, appeals to House of Commons for “poor decayed men” who rot in prison. He prods the body to act on their justice & goodness. Today, do conservatives argue for inhumane prison conditions? How can you take pity on the woeful condition of prisoners? #christian

James Levi Barton, #Congregationalist, says during the Armenian genocide, missionaries suffered alongside, and distributed relief. Do free-love libruls do this? Do gospel-primacy Xians get mad at distractions about genocides? How can you call for comfort and assistance? #christian

Justin Perkins, #Presbyterian missionary, says nonbelievers were created by the evils of American slavery. Likewise, tyrants are encouraged to reject faith and democracy. Some point to unpopularity of US at the UN as evidence that the countries hate God. How can you witness to Christ? #Christian

Anthony Farindon, #Anglican, says that justice gives every person their own, but ”locks up” goods. Mercy opens up these treasuries, and make others the beneficiaries of our gathering, or co-gatherers with us. Do we instead celebrate miserliness? Do you have any co-gatherers?

Llewelyn John Evans, #Presbyterian, says we must bear each other’s burdens, and fight the indulgence and apathy to other’s problems as long as we are okay. We must keep our hearts tender and soft. Contrast w/ modern teachings on manliness. How can you keep your heart tender and soft? #christian

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Charles Spurgeon, #Baptist, says Job based his compassion (chapters 29 & 31) upon God’s own mercy (23:11). It seems too many Christians today have taken to defending churlishness and a lack of liberality as The Way Things Ought To Be? How can you observe the steps of God’s mercy? #spiritualjourney

Peter Randolph, #Baptist pastor, cites outrages of slavery, and then points a finger northward. No one should be content when another’s rights are disregarded, as the North has been. Do you set aside tiny outrages for the advancement of your “larger” agendas? How can you not be content? #christian

Charles Henry Parkhurst, #Presbyterian anti-corruption pastor, sees Jesus promising the world will be made good. So go help and reform. Do some take cues from bible to let the world go to hell in a handbasket? How can you make the world a better place? #christian

Samuel Ringgold Ward, #Congregationalist, comments on life under enslavement. Slave-catchers shot a free person in the head, were exonerated by an elder of the Presbyterian Church! Are there any cases today where #Presbyterian elders exonerate those using excessive force? How can you be peaceful?