err. were intrusted. Nor did they act the part of mild and easy magiftrates, but of cruel oppreffors, who exerted their authority with rigour and feverity, and exacted, without mercy or mitigation, the moft grievous demands.And women rule over them. The perfons who were concerned in the government were foft and delicate in their manners, variable and inconftant in their purfuits, timid and afraid of dangers, weak, and yet violent in the profecution of their defigns, deftitute of firmnefs and fortitude necessary to the furmounting of thofe difficulties which every where occur.O my people, they who lead thee, caufe thee to The word rendered lead, fignifies alfo to blefs; and both meanings may be comprehended in the character mentioned. They, whofe office it was to fhew the people of God their tranfgreffions, to make known to them the way of salvation, and to go before them in that way, fo as to excite them by their influence and example to walk in the commandments of the Lord; they, whose business it ought to have been to bless the people in the name of the Lord, and to befeech God that he might be pleafed effectually to blefs them, instead of faithfully performing the duties of their function, caufed the people to err. Men are naturally inclined to err, prone to embrace error rather than truth, to walk in crooked ways rather than in the onward path of life. The nifery of that people must be truly great, whofe teachers, inftead of correcting their errors, and conducting them in the paths of righteoufnefs, lead them aftray: who, inftead of fhewing them their fins, encourage them in their evil ways; faying, Peace, peace to them, for whom there is no peace. And deftroy the way of thy paths. From the various fenfes of the word tranflated deftroy, which fignifies alfo to pervert or swallow, we may collect the import of the charge brought against the leaders of the people. Thefe teachers, by their corrupt doctrines, and bad examples, perverted the right ways of the Lord, in which they ought to have conducted thofe thofe committed to their care. They deftroyed the key of knowledge, neither entering into the way of life themselves, nor fuffering others to walk in it, fo that few upright fervants of God could be feen among them. This, in fact, was the very character of the Jewish doctors about the time of the Babylonish cap-' tivity, as we learn from the mournful complaints of the prophets; one of which you will find recorded, Ezek. xiii. from the beginning.Let us improve thefe affecting reprefentations of the deplorable condition of God's ancient people, for exciting us to thank. • funefs for the many important advantages we enjoy, and a dutiful concern to profit by means of them. 13 The LORD ftandeth up to plead, and ftandeth to judge the people. In thefe words the Almighty declares his fixed purpose speedily to execute righteous judgment upon his people.It was anciently the practice among Eastern nations, for judges to fit in the gates, where they determined the caufes which were brought before them for decifion; and then the parties, or their counsel, ftood up in their prefence, In reference to this cuftom, God condefcends to declare, that he standeth up to plead his righteous cause against the rulers of his people. Such is his admirable grace, that he not only permits men to plead before him, but defcending as it were from his tribunal, and fufpending his fovereign rights, he offers to plead before them, to account for his conduct, and submit himself to the reason and judgment of impartial judges. The Most High appears in a pofture ready to enumerate the injuries he had received, to bring the criminal conduct of the rebellious under review, and most effectually to plead against them with his great power, not only by the words of his mouth, but by the awful vengeance of his providence. In this manner God threatened he would plead against Gog and Magog: 'I will ⚫ plead against him with peftilence and with blood, and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing 'rain, and great hailflones, fire and brimftone *.' In this fenfe we understand the expreffion before us. And ftandeth to judge the people. Though God condefcends to plead, he still acts in the character of fupreme Judge; and, in allufion to the practice of judges, who often ftand when they deliver their opinions, and pronounce their decifions, he is reprefented ftanding in the congregation of the mighty, and judging among the gods. It belongs to the office of a judge to pronounce fentence on the criminal, and to take care that the fentence be duly executed. Accordingly God, the Judge of all, hath delivered his unalterable decifion refpecting men of every character and condition, in his bleffed word, which he never fails to carry into execution in the courfe of his univerfal providence. Indeed fentence against an evil work is often not speedily executed; fpace is given for repentance: but, alas! on this account the heart of the fons of men is fully fet in them to do evil. Though for wife purposes it may be long delayed, it is always executed in the most proper feafon, when God standeth to judge the people, and to render unto them according to their works. The right hand of the Lord is full of righteousness: what he hath promised fhall certainly be performed, and what he hath threatened fhall as certainly be inflicted, when he arifeth to judgment.Behold, the Judge ftandeth before the door. He is already near, and he will certainly and fuddenly appear to execute judgment, not only to avenge the injuries offered to his people, but to punish them for their tranfgreffions. Let us be daily looking for, and hafting to the coming of the day of God, knowing that it will come fuddenly and unexpectedly as a thief in the night; then we must all ftand before his judgment-feat, and receive according to our deeds. * Ezek. xxxviii. 22. 14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. In this, and the following verfe, the ground of God's controverfy with the rulers of his people is defcribed. One perfon is faid to enter into judgment with another, when a process at law is commenced, a libel is drawn up by one party against the other, who is ferved, at the inftance of the former, with an indictment, and proper evidences are fummoned to prove the matters alledged. In reference to this practice, God is faid to enter into judgment with men, when, by his providential difpenfations, he takes the neceffary steps for executing deferved punishment on men for their tranfgreffions. Deeply affected with awful views of divine vengeance, David earneftly fupplicates, that God would not enter into judgment with him.The perfons with whom God would enter into judgment, were the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof. The former might denote the elders, and perfons of age and experience, who held offices of truft and influence in the church; and by the latter might be meant, men of high rank, great reputation, vaft opulence, and extenfive power in the ftate. These were the men who caused the people to err, and grievoufly oppreffcd them; with whom, therefore, God was highly difpleafed. No condition however elevated, no ftation however diftinguifhed, can exempt from divine judgments those who are leaders in tranfgreffion, who ought to lay their account with the punishment they have merited.The firft article mentioned in the charge, is, Ye have eaten up the vineyards. The land of Canaan was remarkable for the fertility of its soil, the great increase which it yielded, the excellent vine *Pfal. cxliii. 2. yards yards with which it abounded, and the rich wine it produced. Vineyards were fo common, that they were not peculiar to the rich and great, but often were poffeffed by lower claffes of the people. Naboth had a vineyard that was coveted by his prince: and fuch was the avarice and oppreffion of the elders and princes of Judah, at the time referred to, that they carried away the fruit of the vineyards which belonged to the poorer fort of people, and converted the property of the indigent into fewel to their luxury and pride. It deferves to be remarked, that the word tranflated eaten up, fignifies alfo burnt, as it is rendered in the margent of fome Bibles: and in this fenfe the charge becomes ftill heavier; importing, that fuch was the cruelty and violence of the ancients and the princes, that they not only eat the fruit of the vineyards belonging to the poor, but they afterward burnt and destroyed the vineyards themselves. And the Spoil of the poor is in your houses. They had enriched themfelves by rapine and plunder, and laid up in store in their houses the spoil they had col lected. We may naturally fuppofe, that the elders and princes did not confine their avaricious, oppreffive practices to the fruits of the vineyards, but all the other poffeffions of the poor would doubtlefs fhare the fame fate. The righteous Lord, who defends the cause of the poor and fatherlefs, was the conftant witnefs of all their injurious conduct, on account of which he threatens to execute upon them deserved judgment.Let us beware then of injuring any man, particularly the poor, who are moft eafily, and therefore most commonly oppreffed, afluredly knowing that God will certainly punish fuch notorious tranfgreffions. 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? faith the Lord GoD of hosts. The |