The Relative Duties of the Rich and Poor
F. A. Cox, D.D., LL.D. Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. Nothing is made for itself, or made to terminate in its own being. I. THE FOUNDATION OF THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF THE RICH AND POOR. 1. They have one Creator, who is also the Father of all. 2. They are brought together into the same society or department of being. Society is a Divine constitution, and an important ingredient of happiness. In society mankind exists in different relations to each other. In respect to them the law of dependence, which pervades the whole universe, prevails. II. WHAT ARE THE RELATIVE AND RECIPROCAL DUTIES OF RICH AND POOR? 1. One duty of the rich is benevolent bestowment; to supply the need of the poor, to aid them in their necessities. 2. Another duty is that of employment. 3. The enactment of just laws. 4. The practical recognition of the great fact of an universal religious equality. The poor owe — (1) Gratitude to their benefactors. (2) Contentment with reasonable wages. (3) Regard to the interests of their employers. (F. A. Cox, D.D., LL.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. WEB: The rich and the poor have this in common: Yahweh is the maker of them all.