6o Chap. 35 Expoftion upon the Bookof J os.. Verf.9. r rich. Tis a fad encounter when the poor contend with thepoor ; The need -icy of the one knows no mercy, and the imbecility of the other, can give him no help. Nothing.hardens the heart fo much as want or hunger, ( Lam. 4. to.) They have little or no fenfe of anothers mitery, who are under the extream (mart, and feel i he biting of their own. But though poor men opprefs fore( -, y t they opprefs feldomefi and fewer. They can opprefs none)but inch as are poorer or weaker than themfelves, and cannot do that often. There inufi be an over-marching,power in all who opprefs ; and ufually, they who opprefs, are great and mighty in power. (Pfal. Sz. r.) why boaiefi thou thy felfin mifehief, O mighty man ? The man was mighty, and what did this might ferve him for ? what ufe did he put it to ? even todo mifchief. Many havéa mind and will enough todo mifchief, who want both power and opportunity to do it a But they who have power and opportuni- ty to do miCchief,feldome want a mind or will todoit. Power is of great ufe to do good, and 'cis a great temptation:to do bad things. As Labanbragg'd ro facob, and crowed over him as his underling ( Gen. 3 r. 29. hit in the power of my hand todoyou hurt ; And what hindred him then,or what bath hindredmanyin all Ages of the world, from doing that hurt to others, which they had power todo ? Nor a diflike or abhorrence of thefaa ( which through grace flops every good man from hurting others, how great foever his power is )but a fecret refiraintupon their heart, like thar,which Laken had in a dream, or vition to his Bare ; Take heed thou fpeaknot to Jacobgood or bad ; that is, meddle not with him in any, cafe to, flop his journey. The Prophet (Ez,ek. 22.6.) defcribing the fitifulnefs ofthofe times, faith Behold the Princes of1frail, everyone were in thee, to their power, to fhed blood. They did ir, to their power ; we put in the Margin , To their arme; That is, they ufed and improved their arme or power to the utmofi length and firetch for the oppreflìonof others.The Prophet pre- mie chargeth that people with finning in general at that rare; (Chap-. g . g. ) Beholdthou h4 fpoken anddone eviil thing.r,adthou couidefi. Some men fin ( as all men flrould love and ferve God ) with all their might, with all their flrength ; they do evil with both hands greedily; that they fin no more, is not for want of will, but ability. As the peoplewere thus fet upon all manner of fo: the Princes rupon,that fpecial fin oppreffion. They were to theit
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