Chap. 34 An Expofition upon the Book, of J o B. Verf.3o. 78I ' ì.ngall the clamours of the true Prophets againi} them. And fo the latter words, they that are led of them, are futable to the former in the Hebrew, being thus read in the margin, they that arecalled blefedofthem; that is, declaredor allured by them to be in the right way, and fo filch as fhould come to a bleffed end, though indeed their end proved deftru6ion. And if they who are mif- led (or calledblelfed) fall into deftruaion,furely their mifleaders (who call them blelled) (hall not efcape. If the blinde lead the blinde, both fall into the ditch, (Match. 15.-14.) only the blinde leader, or mifleader, {hall fall deeper} intoit, Fifthly, Obferve. 4s Godis difpleafedwith the hypocrite'when he,ufeth his power to enfnare thepeople, fo the Lord fomtineesputs him befsdes his power, or takes his powerfrom him,thathemayy no longer enfnare thepeople, The ultimate fcope of the place, is not only to Chew the Lord difpleafed with the hypocrite, but difplacing him. When the Prophet had fummon'd all forts, Priefts,and people, and the houle of theKing, he addes, judgement is towardsyou, becaufe ye have been fnareupon Mizpah, (Hof. S. 1.) Thus as God pulls down hypocrites, becaufe they are hateful to himfelf, fo becaufe they are hurtful to o_hers ; hurtful to their Civil Liberties, and world- ly Interefls, over whichGod is tender ; hùrtful alfò totheir fpi- ritual Liberties, and foul Interefls, over whichGod is more ten- der. TheKings of Ifrael (who were very wicked, and did much enfnare the people) went otf their Governments, moll of them, . very fpeedily, God did not let them reigne long ; yea,the whole. Kingdom of Ifrael (which had not one good King) was dïllolved longbefore the Kingdom of Judah, which hadmany good Kings.. God did not fuller the hypocritical Kings of Ifrael to hold their power, but gave them into the hand of the King of Affyria, (aKings 17. 6.) becaufe (verf. 8.) they walked in the flames of the heathen, andof the Kingsofllrael, which they had made. From the whole verfe I would give one Noteby way of Corro- lary. A hypocrite is ofall perforas unfit forpublic& fervice. Iiow unfit is he to have power in his hand,. who can ufe it no becter,,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=