, I VEtt s.6. An Expo{ittoJJ, withNotes oppreffingpoor man to be a kinde of wonder and prodigy. Befides, riches exalt the mir:de, and etferate it : They have had lirde exped– ence~of ll!ifery, and (o have little pity. Gods motives' to Ifrael were thefe, ·Do good to flrangers,for thou Wert a jfranger: and Dogood to the po.or, for thy father WM apoor Syrian: Such rea– fonings:are frequent in Scri~ture. But now, when men·live alcoge– the~ ac eafe.; ·their hearts are not meekened w(t_h-a-fenfe of the acci– dents and' inc::onveniencies of the cotnmon life : · :And therefore· fiaving pdwed~ their hands, they ufe it,'as beafis do their firength,: in acts of· violence. The Pmphet often ~omplaineth; Amos 6. of · the excellency ·of Iacob, and the opprejfiM tha:t was inher' palaces. Again, :we~lthoften endeth in Pride, and. Pride breaketh all corn~ mon and lnoi'ahcfiraints; and fo men make the'i,r:will a·r.aw~ and ~hink:"as if:!the refi of theJworltl o~ere:lm~deit~ fer\'ethei~pteafures. elAnd·befides, the Wbrld -'filleth their: hearts·with~ ravenous defire tohave more of the world, how unjufily foever it -be pur– chafed and gotten. You fee the Reafon why ·they [\re ·OpprejJor-s, and they..are•Perfecutors~- becaufe commonly the.meandtare mofi 'f6rward in'Reli§i6n: ·The fpirit of the W'>rld·and the Spit:k of Chrift -are':at' enmity: The Gofpel pmteth men 'upon the fame ievel, whi_dr.pcrfons elevated and exalted cannot endure. Befides; they are.afrard that the things of Chrifi will bring fome difiurbance to tlleir worldly concernments and potfeffions. The J ewifh Rulers were afraid 'of divifionamong the people, and thecoming in ofthe Romans~- :the Gadarens were atraid of. their H9gs. Many fuch Reafons miglit be given. Well then ; Rich men.fhould be more :careful to avoyd the fins that feem to cleave to tbeir rank and or– ·der: ~Tis very hard, but withGod ~11 things a~e pojfib/e, Wealth -isc:1lled the Motmmon .oft-mrighteoujnefs, Lu~ I6, 9· becaufe#cis -ufua1ly the:lnf!r.um.ent and inceNtiveo£ ir. That of terom is h~trfl;, but tod oftenh~ue s· Omnh divnaut iniquu.s eft, 1111t iniqui b~tru: :r ha.t every rich mamu either an OppreJTor himfelf, or the heir of one. Certainly ~c 's buc almo!l: not impoffible tobe rich and righte– om. There are many Ev1ls incident toyour fiate: .A1~ral Bvilt, fuch as Heathenrdifccrned, as Pride; Charge them that they be not highmt'nded, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Boafting, with fome contempt of others, Jtrem. 9• ·2-3· Let not therich'manglory ;nhuriches: So ·Injufiice, Prov. '-'-· 7• Tl3e rich t'Hieth over the poor; that is, by· force and violence : the word may be read 1 dominttreth. Then · ·· · LuxHrJ
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