Chap. z. rtn Expofttion upon the Book of J o a. Nerf, g: 77 Firft,bvway ofCouneeil and advice ; a--d in this knfe Eli did reftraine them (Chap. 2. z3, 24.) Efe fail unto them, x by doeye f,ch things,for I hear ofyour evill dealings with all the peo- ple ; nay my Sonnes., for it to ni geed report that I hear, ye make the Lords people to tran(grefTe. Thus he put a mo-all Hopp in their way, (hewing the hainoufneffe of their finne, and deho:ing them fry m it ; but E'li being a man in Power and Authority, might have gone another way to work with them. he might have punifhed them for their fin, And hecnufe he did r;ot, here was Elies fin ; and chi, i- luggefted as 7,65 fin, He was a man in Power, yet he winked at thole violent ones, and let them carry of in the Earth, when ao he might have mended the matter,by checking their infolencies, & doing the poor right. This is char- ged on Thiatira in reference to the negleft of afìng their Church power, (Revel 2. ïo. ) N,traithf{anding I have afew things againfi thee, becauire thoft /affereft that noncan 7ezabell, that Calls herfelfa Prophetejje, to teach, and to feduce my Ser- vants to commit fornication, &c. That Angel fuffcr'd her ; how did he fullr her? he did not ufe that Power that Chrift had Committed to the Church, toadmonif i, to reprove,to cart ont, he did not ftop that fèdncirg Propheteffe by a due Exercife of Spirituali Power, but ruffr'd her to feduce unconrrol'd. The more Power we have to prevent or remove either Spirituali or. civili Evills, the greater is our finne when it is not dore : if Elipb,oz had nor fuppofed 70b a Magiffrate, he could not have layd this burden upon him, or have represented him in fault, be- caule the mighty man had the Earth, and the honourable man dwelt in it,opp ef;;ïng the weak,andvexing thole of low degree. Elip&z. goes yet one ftep further in the profecurion of this charge, and arraignes him for another Crime, and that a very great one ; The mighty man had the Earth, the honourable than dwells in it; But Verf. g. The widow thou hag rent empty away, and thearms of thefatberleffe have been broken. As ¡file had (aid ; Thou didft fill the full with good things, but the hungry thou haft lent empty away ; The honourable have been provided for, but they who were deftieute of all friends,
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