Chap. 24. An Expojrion upan the .too& JOB. Verf. 2. I will have ir, faith he ; and ifhe be. ftrongenoct-;h have it he will. The Prophet e.4moJ gives filch a charaeler of the Princes of thole times (Chip. 3. i o.) They know nst to doe right, faith the Lord,zaho!tore cep violenceand robbery i, tlrrir pallacei:Tis fad for a people when Princes or they who dwell in Pallaces,know not to do right, efpeciaily when their know nor, is nor, an Ignorance ofthe Law, but a witfull perverfion ofthe Law; when their know nor ro doe right, is they have no mind nor will to do right;when Princes are wife (enough, toowife) to doe evill, but to doe good they have noknowiedge;fuch were they of whom the Prophet complained in that place, they ¡now not to dee right. And what are filch like to doe then ? The Prophet tells us what They fiore up violence and robbery in their pallacet; that is, all the furniture & riches of their pallaces, are but robherry & violence,or filch things as theyhave taken away by violence, and roberrv. The Lord therefore threa- tens fuch,that they filial' be fcourged with vioLpce,(E2 1.) Violence re rifen up into arod of wickednefe, none of them 'Jhal re- maine, nor cf their multitude, nor any oftheirs, neither (hall there be wstyling for them. Violence rifeth up to a rod ofwickedne ffé rwowayes. Firft, asviolence fhootes or puts forth from wicked- neffe, as a branch or rod fhootes forth from the ftocke of a tree all the violence and oppreffion that ever was committed in the world, is both branch and fruit growing or rifing up from a wic- ked heart. Secondly, Violence rifeth up into a rod ofwickednes, when violence punifheth wickedneffe; they who have afflided others by violence,ofcen find violence turned into a rod to afflict themfelvs. And we may give that fence of Solomon, Proverbs; ( Pro. 13 . z.) The faille of the tranfgre four fh`all eate violence, The words are a threat. As wicked men citeviolence, that is, what they have gotien by vio(ence;fo they (hall have violence to' ease, that is, they (hall be violently dealt with ; either violence fhall compel) them to doe their duty, or violence (hall puni(h' them for notdoing ir,or as they lived by violence fo they fhoi die by violence. The f ulee oftranfgrefours Jhall eat violence, as a punifhment, becaufe (as it follows in the next clauie) they eate violence as their portion. They violently take away f )cks, Andfeed thereof. The Original! words arc rendred twowayes.Firft,as we;Thev fee , 493
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