man body, and make it difeafed and loathfome, fo oppreffion renders the body politic, or ecclefiaftical, deformed and odious, reduces it to a dangerous condition, and excludes it from agreeable intercourfe with God. It is a very great evil, a very heinous sin. Oppreffion confifts in the abuse of power; and, therefore, most commonly proceeds from thofe who are exalted above others in opulence and influence: for what Solomon remarked of old is always true, That on the fide of oppreffion is power.' It always difcovers a haughty and cruel difpofition, with a contempt of juftice and clemency. The poor and needy, the fatherless and the widow, the orphan and the stranger, are ordinarily the objects who are hurt by this crime; and, therefore, God cautioned his people to beware of injuring these helpless claffes of mankind. Taking advantage from the neceffities and circumftances, of the unhappy perfons who are the objects of it, to over-reach them, or prejudice their interefts, it greedily feizes their poffeffions, deprives them of their liberty, injures their reputation and credit, and employs every effort to make them appear weak or wicked, foolish or factious. Oppreffion then is a very enormous crime, exceedingly offenfive to God, and highly injurious to the facred rights of mankind; being a wicked perverfion of the benevolent defigns of divine providence, in exalting fome perfons above others, that they may be a protection and fupport to the weak and indigent, that they may give counsel and comfort to them that need them.

But behold a cry. It is not here faid who cried, or to whom the cry was directed; and fo the expreffion admits of a double interpretation, either as it defcribes the mournful complaints of the oppressed, or the rigorous demands of the oppreffors. Oppreffion is a crying fin, which, though the oppreffed fhould keep filence, calleth aloud for vengeance. Such, how

* See Exod. xxii 21.

ever, is commonly the mifery of their condition, that they are obliged to unite their cry with that of their oppreffors, who loudly exacted their cruel demands. Hundreds, thousands loudly exclaimed, because their vineyards were taken from them, their houses were devoured, their fields were pillaged, the wages they had earned were detained, the faces of the poor were grinded, their caufe was not heard, nor their grievances redreffed. Thofe who aflumed the character of priests and prophets, polluted the fanctuary, and the ordinances of the Moft High: the princes, and the rulers, injured the rights and properties of the people. In few words, fuperftition abounded in the church, injuftice and oppreffion in the ftate and to fuch a pitch did thefe crying iniquities arrive, that the city Jerufalem is thus fpoken of by the prophet Jeremiah; She is wholly oppreffion in the midst of

her. What a contraft between righteoufnefs, the effect of which is quietness and affurance for ever, and oppreffion, attended with a cry that reacheth the throne of the almighty Avenger!-Such was the corrupt ftate of the Jewish church prior to the Babylonifh captivity, as is abundantly evident from the writings of the prophets. This corruption and depravity arrived at a ftill greater height, and became more confpicuous, about the time our bleffed Saviour came feeking fruit from the vineyard; as we learn from the parable, recorded Matth. xxi. 33. and following verfes, and many other paffages inferted in the gofpels.Let us then diligently beware of the ag gravated crimes of injuftice and oppreffion, with the other fins which expofed the pofterity of Ifrael to the moft terrible calamities, left, partaking in their fins. we share in their punifhments. Contemplating their captivity, and afterward their deftruction, as awful warnings of the danger of unfruitfulness in thofe whom God hath diftinguifhed by his favours, let us

* Jer. vi. 6.

bring forth fruit with patience, that, having our fruit unto holiness now, in the end, we may obtain everlasting life.

8 Wo unto them that join houfe to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.

The first of the fix woes denounced in this chapter, is against the covetous and avaricious, whofe minds are inflamed with infatiable rapacity, and boundless ambition. The perfons here defcribed, already poffeffed a houfe and a field; but diffatisfied with what they enjoyed, they were eagerly intent upon acquiring more; and were as anxious to enlarge their eftates, as if their life and happiness confifted in the abundance of earthly things. In oppofition to the divine command, which required that they fhould not feek great things for themfelves, they were bent upon increafing their riches, and enlarging their territories; fo that, like the grave, they could never fay it is enough. Meafuring their eftates by their defires, they were greedy to acquire more houfes, and more. lands: endeavouring, by every mean, both fair and fraudulent, to amafs wealth, and increase gain, they exerted their utmoft abilities in forming and executing fchemes, whereby they might add to their treafures. Afraid of lofing what they had acquired, they eat the bread of carefulness: penurious in ufing the riches they poffcffed, and folicitous to aggrandize their fortunes, they deprived themfelves of the comfort they might have enjoyed; they coveted the property of their neighbours, and defrauded the great Lord of all of the tribute he justly demands, as an acknowledgment that all things come of him. By fuccefsful induftry, and the bleffing of God attending their diligent application to bufinefs, they might have lawfully added a houfe and a field to their former inheritances;

and

and on this account, we fuppofe, they would not have been cenfured. What was culpable in the persons threatened, and what is condemned here, was the infatiable defires, and inceffant endeavours, of covetous men after earthly things. The expreffion ufed in this verse, like that of joining hand in hand, intimates, that they were keenly fet on uniting together houses and fields without end, that their name might continue for ever. This odious character was remarkably exemplified in the conduct of covetous king Ahab, who, diffatisfied with a kingdom, could not enjoy his royal domains, whilft Naboth had a vineyard in the vicinity of his palace.

Till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth. The perfons fpoken of, made their little felves the centre of their activity, in which all the lines of their exertion terminated. Man being a focial creature, defigned to advance the interefts of fociety, he must have counteracted the first principles in his nature, by his covetous, ambitious endeavours, that he might be placed alone in the midst of the earth. The expreffion must not be understood in its ftricteft fenfe, as if the people, whofe practice is here condemned, wifhed to live entirely alone, and to have no perfon near them. Men of the description before us, are averfe to folitude, and often terrified to be alone. It imports, that they were anxious no room might be left to rival them in power, influence, or property; that they were folicitous all around them might be their inferiors, obliged to give them place, to do them homage as their vafials and tenants, to adminifter fewel to their pride and ambition, and, in some respect or other, to acknowledge them their fuperiors. Such odious characters were frequent in the days of our prophet, and his cotemporary Micah, whofe words exactly correfpond to thefe we are confidering: Wo to them that devife iniquity, and work evil upon their beds: when the morning is light they pra&ife it, becaufe it is in

• the

• the power of their hand. of their hand. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take 'them away; fo they oppress a man, and his house, even a man and his heritage. Therefore thus faith the Lord, Behold, against this family do I devife an evil, from which ye fhall not remove your necks, ⚫ neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.” It is probable that perfons of this fort greatly multiplied, during the period which elapfed from the delivery of this prophecy until the captivity at Babylon. Toward the conclufion of the Jewith difpenfation, men of the above defcription mightily increafed among that people. Avarice, rapacity, injuftice, and oppreffion, were the fins for which they were remarkably confpicuous, and frequently threatened.

Against fuch perfons God denounces, by his fervant Ifaiah, mifery and wo; comprehending all manner of evils, which fhould befal them, both in this and the future world; and which, even in this life, would afflict them in their confciences, reputation, and property. The moft terrible calamities are expreffed in fcripture by this fhort word, of which many inftances occur both in the Old and New Teftament. The practice here condemned, proceeding from that covetoufnefs which is idolatry, justly merited mifery and wo. It affords ftrong proof that men are deftitute of the love of God; that they diftruft the care of his kind providence; that they contemn the authority of his word; that their hearts are fet upon this world; that they are cruel and oppreffive toward their brethren, to whofe welfare they are indifferent. Juftly, therefore, are they expofed to the displeasure of almighty God, whose curfe is in the habitation of the wicked. Sometimes the curfe enters into their hearts, and prevents them from enjoying comfort in their eftates, and perplexes them with fears and cares about their poffeffions: at

*Micah ii. I, 2, 3.

other