together with the principal men of the tribes and families. Thefe, it is affirmed, were rebellious; they had revolted from fubjection to God; they had acted in hoftility against their rightful Sovereign, and fhamefully apoftatized from the worfhip of the true God, ferving idols, and following their own wicked inventions; and, therefore, they justly deferved this character. Deplorable indeed was the condition of that people, whofe great men, instead of setting examples of firm attachment to the fervice of God, and a zealous concern for his glory, flood at the head of that groundless rebellion with which they are charged.And companions of thieves. They were not only bad themselves, but they frequented the worst of company. Fraudulent practices were not only committed and countenanced by the princes of Judah, but fo abandoned were they to all fense of propriety of conduct, and a becoming regard for equity, and the honour of their exalted station, that they affociated with perfons of the worst character, and who were addicted to the moft criminal purfuits. Thieves, the pests of fociety, the contemners of the law of Jehovah, and the destroyers of their own fouls, whofe company ought carefully to be fhunned by every good man, especially by those of high rank; thefe were the companions of the princes of Judah. In confequence of this profligacy of manners in the leaders of that people, difhonefty and fraud became fo prevalent among them, that, in the words of the prophet Jeremiah, From the leaft even to the greatest of them, < every one is given to covetoufnefs.It is added, Every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards. The gifts referred to, were not prefents generously offered by one person to another, purely as proofs of real refpect and heart-kindnefs, or as grateful acknowledgments of favours received. Such gifts are worthy of efteem, and may lawfully be defired, as * Jer. vi. 13. agreeable agreeable fruits of that mutual love which is the fulfilling of the law, and which caufeth many thankfgivings unto God. The rewards fpoken of, were bribes given to thefe called princes, by those who had caufes depending before them, in order to procure favourable decifions, or to make powerful interest in their behalf. This corrupt practice was ftrictly prohibited in the law of God delivered to this people, as it tended to blind the eyes, and pervert the judgment, so as to hinder a clear difcernment between right and wrong. Notwithstanding, their princes had arrived at fuch an enormous pitch of wickednefs that they were generally fond of gifts.Nor was this all; they went farther; they followed after rewards, greedily looking to receive fome recompence from thofe whom they had ferved by their influence, and the fentences they had pronounced, whereby their interest was advanced and fecured. Thefe recompences of iniquity they keenly fought after, and endeavoured by every mean to procure. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the caufe of the widow come unto them. Orphans bercaved of their parents, and widows deprived of their hufbands who are their counfellors and guardians, being in a helplefs condition, it is incumbent, in a fpecial manner, on thofe who are invested with the office of judges, to imitate the character of the bleffed God, who is a father of the fatherlefs, and the judge of the widow. The will of the fupreme Judge, on this fubject, is plain and explicit; Ye fhall not afflict any widow, or fatherlefs child *.* More is evidently intended in thefe words than expreffed: ye muft not only refrain from injuring them, but it is required, that ye protect them, plead their çaufe, and do them good. Far from obeying this plain precept, often inculcated in the law of God, the princes fpoken of, declined judging the causes of the fatherlefs, and did not permit the matters wherein * Exod. xxii. 22. widows were concerned to come unto them. In confequence of which, the most indigent part of the nation, whom they were exalted to fupport and protect, were either excluded from juftice altogether, or the decifion of their caufes was fhamefully delayed, to make room for those from whom gifts and rewards might be expected.Execrable practices! Miferable people! Their princes, who ought to have been exemplary in their conduct, for unfhaken fidelity to the God of their fathers, and dutiful fubjection to his laws, had become disobedient and rebellious against the divine authority. They, whofe bufinefs it was to have punished thieves, and every fpecies of fraud, had become oppreffors of the poor, and were intimately connected with the dishonest and thievish part of the nation. They, who ought to have established the land, by an impartial diftribution of juftice among the people over whom they prefided, loved gifts, and fought after rewards, whereby they expofed the nation to deftruction. The caufes of the orphans and widows, which merited a candid difcuffion, and fpeedy determination, were delayed or neglected; whilst those who had more money, and greater intereft, procured a favourable hearing and judgment. Such was the corrupt state of Jerufalem in the days of Ahaz, king of Judah; the account of which divine wisdom hath transmitted to us, on whom the ends of the world are come, that we may learn to avoid thofe aggravated fins which expofed them to the awful judgments of God. May we be fo happy as derive this ufeful practical inftruction from this fubject; and, keeping their folly and danger fully in our view, let us, in our different ftations, fteer an oppofite course to that which proved their ruin. 24 Therefore faith the LORD, the LORD of hofts, the mighty One of Ifrael, Ah, I will ease me of mine adverfaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. This verse contains a fublime description of the Moft High, who threatens to execute vengeance on those who had perverted judgment.Therefore faith the Lord, the glorious independent Jehovah, the Creator and Proprietor of the whole earth; the Lord of lords, of all those who are dignified among men with this character; the Lord of hofts, who is poffeffed of univerfal dominion over heaven and earth, over angels and men, to whom all nature is fubject, who hath fovereign authority to difpofe of all perfons according to his pleasure, and to order all events ac cording to the counfel of his own will. He who hath all the hofts of heaven and earth under his command, can never want instruments to execute his defigns, nor ability to inflict the threatenings he denounces; which, when prefaced in the manner before us, muft appear exceedingly awful. If where the word of a king is there is power, what majefty and authority attends the declarations of the King of kings!It is added, The mighty One of Ifrael. This character is repeatedly afcribed to the Molt High God in fcripture. The patriarch Jacob, in the blefling he pronounced upon his fon Jofeph, hath thefe remark able words; His bow abode in ftrength, and the arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob,' who was furnamed Ifrael. David fupplicates, that the Lord would remember how he vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob+. He is indeed the mighty One, who made and upholdeth all things by the word of his power, who can eafily vanquish all the enemies of his people, protect them from all evil in the paths of obedience, and who will take vengeance on their evil inventions, and acts of rebellion against him. And he is the mighty One of Ifrael, being the God of that eminent patriarch, and his numerous pofterity, called by the name of their father, in whose behalf he gloriously * Gen. xlix. 24. + Pfal. cxxxii. 2. exerted great exerted his almighty power, as a prelude of the things he would do in after-ages for his true Ifrael. Thefe characters feem to be here mentioned, to strike terror into his adverfaries, and to fill them with dread of his righteous vengeance, who is almighty, not only to protect his upright fervants, but to punish obftinate tranfgreffors. Ah, I will eafe me of mine adverfaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. This awful declaration begins, you fee, with the word Ah; which may be confidered as fignificant of grief and compaffion, arifing from the view of what is threatened; and as expreflive of triumph, in the profpect of rendering just recompence to his enemies, and obtaining certain victory over those adverfaries who are here defcribed.Both phrases before us feem to be of the fame import, the one ferving to illustrate and explain the other. By the adverfaries of God, on whom he declares he will avenge himself, primarily intended, were the hypocritical and rebellious among the Jews, who pretended to be his peculiar people, and yet refufed to obey his commands, and oppofed his interests both in their words and actions. All the powers of their minds, and all their principles of action were corrupted; their wills and affections ran counter to the good pleasure of Jehovah; they choofed the abominations he had forbidden, and fhewed a strong difaffection to his government: hence they are faid to have walked contrary to him. The proofs of this character are numerous, and very clear, in the mean and difhonourable opinion they entertained of the perfections and glory of his divine nature; in their fixed averfion to his fervice, which they wickedly forfook, that they might ferve other gods; and their many departures from him, whilft they profeffed to be a people near unto him. It is unneceffary to produce evidences of a fact, clear as the fun in the firmament, and recorded by eternal truth.-What, then, are we better than they? No, in no wife; we, as well as they, are all under |