Chap. a2. .4n .Expofition upon the Book of J o s. Verf. 9. The greater fifh in the fea of this world devour and live upon the leffer ; The ftrong fhould fupport the weake, and they who are upper molt should uphold thofe who are under them. Bo:t . becaufe the weak and the underlings may moft cafily be oppreft, therefore they are moft ufuallyoppreft.As covstoufneffe is cruel, fo'tiscowardly, and dares not meddle with its match. God in re- ference to Spiritualis, filet's the hungry withgood things, and the rich hefendeth empty away, (Luk. i. 53 .) Ungodly men in re- ference to temporalls, would fend the rich away empty, if they could, but they are fo farre from filling the hungry with good things, that they takeaway all the good things they can from the hungry, they care not if they fiarve the hungry, if they make the poore poorer, and take all from them who have but little. Fourthly , 7,4 having been a Magiftrate, and fo (by his place) a Minitier ofJuaice, is ftrongty preffed with the doing ofinjuftice. Whence note Firft, That they who have power, may eaf:ly, though not always jufi`lr, befat¡pettedfor the abuse ofit. To have a power in our'hands whereby we may doe good, is a temptationto do evill: Tis hard to keep power within its bounds, and to rule that, by which others are ruled.The Prophet ( Ifa. a- io,) calls the rulersofSion, rulers ofSodcme,becaufe they ruled likethem, or rather worfe then they, eatingup the people, under their charge, rather then feeding them, and vexing thofe whom they undertooketo governe, and to be a Shield unto againft the vexationsof others. Secondly, Note; That as oppreffion !safin in any man, fo it sissy f$fsnfull in thofc who have power in their hands to releeve the opprefed. Such aft not only contrary to a common rule, but contra- ry to their fpeciall duty; byhowmuch we have the more obli- gation not todoe a thing, by fo much we fin the more if we doe it. Thirdly, Note ; Thatas iris veryfinfrsllin Mägiftrater to wring any mashfa it is moJIfinfull to wrong them, or to deny, them right, who bave tmofi needofit, the widow, and thefatherlef{je. Magi.
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