37o Chap. 3 r An E.ti}.cftion upon the Beotie of J o. Verf.7; If any blot loath cleaved( or beenglu'd, as the word properly fignífreth) to my bands. We translate it by cleaving, becaufe things glued cleave toga= Cher. It notes alto the neerefl unionof affection. ( Gen. 3-4, 3. ) yfnd hid foule clave tonto Dinah the daughter offaccb, and he lo- ved the dam/cí1, and fpakekindly to the damfell. As greatest of flidion is let forth by this word (Tfal. 44. 25. ) Our foule e bowed downe to the duff, curbelly cleavttbunto the earth ; So alío the greateft affediori, not onlyof man to man, but of God to man. (?er. i 3. rt. ) Foras the girdle cleaveth to the loinsof a man,fo have Icaufedto cleave unto mee the whole houfe of Ifrael, and the whole houfe of fudahfaith the Lord, that they might be un- to meefor apeople, andfor a name, andfor apraife, andfor aglory, but they would net heart. The Lord is therefore fayd to caufe that people to cleave to him as a girdle becaufe oftheir neerenes to him,and his love to them. God was defirous they Ihould lit close to him, and he had a purpose to make them conspicuous to the world,as a girdle is when it is claspedand fo cleaveth to the loines ofa man. This notion of the word lutes fully with the fpeciall fin that fob protefis againtl, gaine by unjuít dealing ; for what is fogot- ten flicks in the fingers and cleaveth as dole to the hand of an unrighteous man, as thole things which are fafs glued together. pie 4 airs The Septuagint render thus ; IfIhave touchedgifts (or bribes) epQ t, 1,,.¿. with my hands; And fo this blot may more particularly be ex- C =v d'o;w: pounded ofbribe taking, which as it perverts Iufiice, fo it blots Sept. and blemifhes their reputation who ufe it.A Bribe receaaed doth. two things : i irft, it blindes the eyes ofthe receaver, fo that he cannot Or rather will not fee right fromwrong. Secondly, it de- files andcorrupts the hands, it puts a bate blot upon them. Bribe- taking hands are blotted hands, not only becaufe to take bribes is a blot, but becaufe the taking of themmakes many a blot, both in the winde ofthe taker, and in the matter or bufires which he nndertaketh. Therefore the Prophet ( Ifa. 3 3. r5.) dives this description ofa righteous man; Iledc//îfeth thegaine ofopprefon, die (baklrth hie bands from holding cf bribes. Ifany bribe fall into his hand,he fhaketh it offas we doedirr,or as Paul did the Viper that %ung upon his hand ; yea as ferric interpret the Prophet, he fhaketh
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