Chap. 22. As Expo/ition upon the Book! of J o B. Vex% 6. 53 bid the detaining inour hands, as the laying of our hands upon tfiat which is is our neighbours. And he that witholds the pledge when the debtor is ready and offers to redeeme it, is like him that withholds the debt when the lender delires him,and he is able to. repay it. Thou haft taken or with holden a pledge,That's thy fin. Secondly, There is a further aggravation of fin in the words. tefpeding the perfon fromwhich the pledge was taken ; A Bro- ther : Thou haft taken apledge from thy brother. This addeth to the fanne ; we fhould he kinde to all, but efpecially to a brother.. A brother, maybe taken either aridly for one next or neere by birth or bloud, a brother by confanguinity : inch are in the moftr properfence; our brethren and our own flefh. Or the word bro- ther may he taken ina large fence, for any that are neere to us, as beingeither of the fame profeffion ofReligion with us, or liv- ing in the fameCity,fociety,or under tL,e fame Government with us. Thefe are our brethren and our own flefh too. And fo the Prophet calleth them even when pinched with hunger and nakedneffe, the more to move the bowels o'our compaffion to- wards them, (Ifa. 58.7. ) When thou fee/i the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyfelfefr.m thy own fle/h ; As richly cloathed as thou art, and as naked as they are, thine own flefh they are.When Elipha . faith, Thou haft takena pledgefrom= thy brother, he takes in brethren under all dil indions._ This he adds to highten robs fin ; Thou tookeft a pledge front thy, brother. Hencenote That as it is unjuft anduncharitabk to wrong any man, fo tnoi' of all thofe that are acere to ut. To wrong a brother of any latitude or degree is ffnfull, and Rill the neerer the brother is, the more tinfoil it is to wrong him : the fin which a man commits againft himfelfe is therefore greateft ofall, becaufe a man is neereft to hirofeife ; fo in proportion the neerer any one is to us in any relation,, the more we Pinne in wronging him. The Apoítle puts .it un- der that notion ; Ifa brother or a liftier be naked, and deffitute of" dayly food, &c. ram. 2. 15.. And againe, i rob. 3.17. Whofoever loath thisworldsgood,andfeethbiskrotber bave need,ánd/buttetb up) hats
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