778 Chap. 34. Ai Expeftion uppon the Book, of B. Verf.3o. on their government, and fecure themfelves; fo mof} hypocrites have a mind, and will ufe all means ( not forbearing thofe which are bad enough ) to get into power, and make themfelves great. The fpiiit of hypocrifie is anafpiring spirit.. Againe , Elthu faith, That the hypocrite reigne not,lef thepeo- ple be enfnared; here's not one word of the good government or prote&ron of the people, which should be the maine bufineffe of thole that reigne ; The text fpeaks only of fnares;That the hy- pocrite reigne not, left thepeople be enfeared. Hence obferve ; Thirdly. Hypocrites getting into power,doeeithersecretly or openly wrong andoppreffe thepeople. They lay fnares for them in Head of being fihields to them., Hypocrites in power, enfriare chiefly two wayes. Ftrft, By their ill example, there is a great fnare in that ; Infe- riorsare very apt to be formed up according to their mould and R:gis ad ex- manners whoare above them ; the example ofKings and Princes emplum torso are feldome unconformed to by their Subje&s. There is a great ponitur or- power in example, what is done perfwades, aswel as what is fpo- ken. And the errors ofthofe that rule become rules of error ; men fin with a kind of authority, through the fins of thofe who are in authority. feroboam madeIfrael tofin, not only by commanding them to worfhip the Calves at Dan and Bethel, but bycommend- ing that Idolatous worship to them in his owne praclife and ex- ample. ;Secondly, Theyenfnarethe people by finfull and bad Lawes; The Prophet:denounceth a woe diflinellyunto men of feverall ranks and places (Hof: 5. I.) Beare ye thts,O Priests, andhearken ye koufe ofIfrael,andgiveye eare,Ohouse oftheKing; he dire&s his fpeech, in that three-fold divifion ; Firfl,;to the Prieu s ; Second- ly, to the-bpdy of thepeople ; Thirdly, and chiefly to the houle ,oftheKing , why to the houle of the King ?Betau jeye havebeen afnareon Mizpah, andanet spread uponTabor. That Scripture may be interpreted ; FirfF, as an allufion to fuck aswere wont to hunt upon thofe mountaines; Mizpah and Tabor were famous places for hunting, there they were wont to. fet netts, and lay snares to catch their game ; now, faith the Prophet, ye havebeen even like hunters fpreaci tg netts and laying flutes.. Alin rgd,is called.
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