Chap. 6 . An Expafttisnwpm the Book of j j,ú. YCrf..27. .. 54? G they afflid himmore i when they fee God hath wounded him, they will kill him. The trouble he is in, makes their vi' ory mare:eaíie ; As when the Philif Ines fell before Jonathan (I Sam. 4.) his Armour-bearer flew after him ; fo do thefe, they flay thole who are fallen before theafiäiting hand of God. Obferve fecondly ; That it is a great aggravation of the finfulnefs of oppreffion and wrong-doing to opprefss or di wrong to the fatberlefi; Commonly the poor are more oppreffed, but atwayes there is more , fin in oppreffing the poor, though to opprefs or wrong the rich be a fin, and a very great one. What a flock of wickednefs doe they gather, who take from thofe to whom they are bound to give,whomake them naked and hungry,whom they fhouldcloath. and feed who are .ffraitned in Juflice towards them, to whom they ought to be enlarged in charity.It is a fin to deny them juflice, who need not your charity, but to be unjuft where we fhould be charitable, how Gnfnl is that ! It is a great fin to take away from him, who hath abundance, but to take away from him, who is in want, is an abounding fin. Therefore we find that given not only as axùle,.but as a charge,Prov.22.2a, Rob not thepoor becaufe he is poor, . make not poverty your alt vantage for robbery. , There is much bafenefs in it ( betides the finfulnefs) to trample upon thofe whole cannot refft,and perhaps dare not complain. God is moît refitted in wronging thofe, who cannot refift others,or right themlelvs.Whenwe helpa poor man (efpecially a godly poor man ) God himfelf gaines, and (ina fence) is inriched by it, becaufe God receives glbry,and is paid (which is his greateft revenew fromman), in honour and in praife, for all the help we give fuck poor.. Inour alms, we per- forme Gods promifes for him : and they who receive promifes, cannot but return praife. On the other, fide, when we wrong the poor (efpectaily the godly poor) God him felfe loofes, and (in a fence) is impovrifhed; becaufe not onely his praife ( as much as we can doe ) is with held, but his truth and .faithfulnefs are queflioned. Mans uncharitablenefs, would make void the.prómi- fes ofGod ; and whenpromifes lye unfulfilled, praife lyes unre- turned. Hence that threatning prohibition, Prov. 23. 10, a E. Enter not into the field of the fatherlefr ; that is, make not a fot cïble or violent entry. Why is it more dangerous to enterin- to tits fi;,1da than into anothers? Or is there any licenfe here to entcs
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