An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

The words are plain, giving and receiving are Correlatives; where there is giving, there is usually receiving; and where there is receiving, there must be giving. Sometimes there is giving, where there is no receiving. When Belteshazar promised Daniel great things, if he could Interpret the hand-writing on the wall, (Chap. 5.17.) He answered, Let thy gifts be to thy self, and thy rewards unto another. Daniel would not receive his offer: There was giving inpro mice on Belteshazars side, but no receiving on Daniels side. Most are so much for receiving, that they love the word give, as the Prophet taxed and reproved the Rulers of Israel, (Hos. 4.18.) Her Rulers with shame (that is, shamelessly, or of which they should be ashamed, or for which all cry shame on ⟨p. 41⟩them) do love, Give ye; that word sounded well, even like sweet music in their ears: And if others did not offer bribes to corrupt Justice, they invited them, give ye, we are ready to receive. The Apostle puts both these together in a good way, (Phil. 4.15.) No Church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only: And he would have the Church at Ephesus to remember those words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give, than to receive, (Acts. 20.35.) Artaxerxes, ¹one of the Persian Monarchs, was Surnamed, Long-hand; his right hand, or giving hand, being longer than the left; showing, as some conjecture, that the Honour of Great Kings is seen more in giving than in receiving. But as we have nothing of our own to give unto God, so he hath no need to receive any thing of us. Thus Elihu here, What givest thou him? or what receiveth he at thine hand?

The words are plain, giving and receiving are Correlatives; where there is giving, there is usually receiving; and where there is receiving, there must be giving. Sometimes there is giving, where there is no receiving. When Belteshazar promised Daniel great things, if he could Interpret the hand-writing on the wall, (Chap. 5.17.) He answered, Let thy gifts be to thy self, and thy rewards unto another. Daniel would not receive his offer: There was giving inpro mise on Belteshazars side, but no receiving on Daniels side. Most are so much for receiving, that they love the word give, as the Prophet taxed and reproved the Rulers of Israel, (