Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v5

i6 Chap.' AnExpofitiox upon the Book of J OB: Verf.34, are far from bribes. There are five forts ofGifts.. First, Gifts ofcharity to the.poor. Sfcondly, Gifts offriendfhip between equals.. Thirdly,gifts of duty from inferiours to chore above them,. to teftifie either thankfulnefsor obedience. Fourthly, Giftsofbounty. and grace, from Superiours to Chore whoare below them,to teftitìc their favour to them and that they are well pleafed. in. them, or in their-Cervices; there is no hurt either in giving or receiving there gifts. There are only_teftimonies.of relpef..fromman-to man,aad tend only to maintain humane fociet<y, But there is a fifth forts of Gifás,which we may call gifts of injury, or in the languaofthe Text,Gifts ofbribery ; 'there are given either to perver'tt,or delay juftice, and tooveithrew efi a man in his. caufe, rnitj The Hebrew expreffetk a gift in general,and a bribe,by the quad facit,l S fame word, becaufe, all bribes are gifts ; fo very many gifts unum, dantc 3 are bribes, Gitfsof charity, of friendfhip, ofduty, of favour, ,"Curet tiinrem7, are but fcw in comparifonofbribing gifts. And 'Cis exceeding trt,;aunraccipit hardfor, any man. that is.intereffed in affairs of Judgment-be- munur ab tpfo, twecn man and man,to receive a gift from either ofthem,and runtaccedit a- npt to be bribed by it, to tranfgrefs the rules of equity and ntm ja ad righteoufnefs. A gift transforms the Judge into a party, or rut ' makes (ás the HebrewCriticks tell us upon that word) the cut lli ips hal?,Becei. Judge, and party to be but one perron. ,5c. auxtorf, Lattly, The Tabernacles of Bribery, may be taken, not only in general for the eftates of.thofe who have given or taken Bribc.s, but particularly for the very houles which have been built by giving, or taking Bribes.Some have built houles with what they have gotten by giving Bribes, and many by taking Bribes, have got enough to built houles : while fetch look on theirhou.fes and dwellings, they may fay, if they will fay the truth, Injuffiee bath built ets axle hours ; there are the. Taber- ;lades ofbribery, A Traveller coming to B,ome.and._viewing many famous firugtures, and goodly houles there, asked who built them ? axe t It was aufwered, there are thefins ofGermany ; the meaning German,. was, that.. the mony brought for pardons out of Germany, rm!, builtthofe houles. So we may fay of many fair places, and goodly dwellings, There are Bribes and opprefliôns,fucli

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