vidence hath exalted to the most eminent ftation, to whom God hath given riches, honour, and power, that they may protect and do good to thofe that are deftitute, fhould notwithstanding harafs, vex, and injure them. This is as if the rod fhould fhake itself against him that lifts it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were not wood *.' This is a moft odious iniquity in the fight of the Lord God merci ful and gracious, and a strange perversion of the purs poses of his kind providence. This is a grievous burden to those who are obliged to fuftain it, and attended with the worst of confequences, as Solomon obferved; Oppreffion maketh a wife man mad †.” It is the highest injuftice, and the groffeft impiety, an atrocious fin which expofes its abettors to the awful judgments of Almighty God.Such as are oppreffed the people of God are directed to relieve. This imports, that they ought to employ their power and influence to rescue the injured from under the calamities they feel that they labour to adminifter feafonable support to them under the hard treatment they fuftain-and that they exert themselves, by every lawful expedient, to prevent their oppreffors from farther diftreffing them.You cannot excuse yourselves from taking part in this pleafant employ ment, when you confider, with the wifeft of men, the oppreffions done under the fun. If you attend to your intimate connection with thofe who fuffer wrong, and how deeply the bleffed God hath interested himself in their behalf-when you behold their tears of forrow, furely you cannot refufe to lend them any small relief that is in your power to afford. Fudge the fatherless. Strictly fpeaking, the fatherlefs are those who have been bereaved of their parents, whom God hath conftituted the guardians and guides of their children. In fcripture the character is not confined to fuch, but frequently includes those *Ifaiah x. 15. + Ecclef. vii. 7. who who are in forlorn circumstances, deftitute of friends to affift and relieve them. In this extenfive fenfe God is faid to be the helper of the fatherlefs *. The character here comprehends, not only those who have been deprived of their parents, but fuch alfo as are in a helpless state, needful of the divine interpofition in their favour. Orphans often fall a prey to the injuftice and cruelty of bad men, notwithstanding the oppreffion and robbery of the fatherless are accounted by Jehovah the moft aggravated crimes, which he hath threatened to punifh by the moft awful judg ments. On perfons of this defcription, he hath fet many marks of his friendly attention and regard. He hath implanted in mankind a folicitous concern for the welfare of their own children, which is easily transferred to the young ones of others. He hath enforced this natural propenfity, by inculcating the care of orphans as their duty, by promifes of mercy to the obedient, and declarations of his awful displeasure against the rebellious: and, in the courfe of his adorable providence, he makes neceffary provifion for them, and difpofes many to pity and befriend them. In the words before us, he calls upon his profefling people, and their rulers, to judge the fatherlefs. Viewing the words as directed to thofe in power, they import, that they ought to endeavour rightly to understand, and impartially to determine, the caufes of the orphans which were brought before them for decifion. Confidering them as directed to the people at large, it is neceffary to interpret the judging here recommended, as fignifying the pleading their caufe, in which fenfe the word is fometimes ufed. The precept requires them, to appear in behalf of the fatherlefs and helplefs, and to maintain their cause against those who would hurt and injure them. Remember this too is your indifpenfable duty, would you refemble him, who declares, * Pfal. x. 14: + Ifaiah x. 2. Jer. v. 28. from from his holy habitation, that he is the Father of the fatherlefs; would you obey and please him, from whom you have received all your comforts, who hath often pitied and helped you, when no other hand could have adminiftered relief. Let not any opportuntity flip, of fhewing kindness to the orphan and the deftitute; but do what lies in your power to fupport their rights, and relieve their neceflities. Plead for the widow. The word tranflated widow is very emphatical, being derived from one that fignifies to bind, or be filent. Widows are expofed to many troubles, and frequently detained in the bonds of affliction and forrow, from which they cannot extricate themselves. They are often filent, through grief of heart, incapable of speaking in their own behalf, and defending their own caufe. In this helpless condition, they are apt to become a prey to the unjust and oppreffive among men, who endeavour to diftress them in various ways. For their encouragement, the Lord of the whole earth hath declared, That he is their Husband, who efpoufes their caufe, and who will certainly be avenged on thofe who afflict them. Indeed there is no clafs of the human fpecies to whom he fhews more attention and compaffion, than to those who are widows indeed, trufting in him. In proof of this, we obferve he frequently recommends them to the care of his ancient people, and repeatedly requires them to afford them every neceffary relief: and, in the words under confideration, he directs them to plead for the widow; or, as the word denotes, to manage the caufe of the widow.Intereft yourselves deeply in their behalf, give them your friendly affiftance in conducting their affairs, and, as occafion requires, neglect not to take part againit thofe who would vex and opprefs them. This is highly neceffary, to demonftrate your fubjection to God, and to difcover a becoming folicitude for the happiness of the moft feeble of our race, and ofttimes the most neglected. The careless omiflion of this duty, by the people to whom our prophet was fent with this meffage, expofed them to the moft fevere divine judgments.Let us then take warning, and fhew ourselves willing and obedient to the voice of God, as we value his life-giving favour, and would escape his righteous vengeance. By the faithful performance of the important duties here recommended, let us demonftrate to ourfelves and others, that we have put away the evil of our doings, and learned to do well. 18 Come now, and let us reafon together, faith the Lord though your fins be as fcarlet, they shall be as white as fnow; though they be red like crimson, they fhall be as wool. In these words the eternal God vouchfafes to invite his people to fix their attention on the aggravations wherewith their fins were attended, and the aftonishing manner in which he confers forgivenefs. The addrefs ftands in the form of an affectionate entreaty, proceeding from the utmoft tendernefs, and concern for the happiness of thofe to whom it is directed. Come now, however heinous and multiplied your tranfgreffions, and liften with attention and candour to the following interefting truths defigned for your encouragement. The reafoning to which you are invited, denotes fuch an argument or debate as arifes between two parties, one of whom brings a heavy charge against the other, who defends himfelf, and anfwers all the objections propofed. By forfaking the Lord, and provoking the Holy One of Ifrael, the men of Judah practically affirmed, his fervice was neither honourable nor profitable: by diffimulation and hypocrify, they dealt deceitfully with God, and contracted the most complicated guilt, from which they might have no hopes of being delivered. Such is the unbiaffed equity, and infinite clemency of the fupreme Lord of all, that he condeL fcends fcends to vindicate the rectitude of his difpenfations, and declines not fully to answer all the objections brought against the adminiftration of the riches of his mercy. This we fee exemplified in many paffages of fcripture, befide the ftriking inftance now before us. In the fixth chapter of Micah, from the 2d verse, God, having fummoned the mountains, and strong foundations of the earth to attend, pathetically expoftulates with his people as to their fins; he reminds them of his mercies, and fets forth his controverfy with them; to which he demands their answer. Having reached conviction to their hearts of their ingratitude and rebellion, they anxiously inquire, what course they fhould take to efcape his wrath, and obtain acceptance with him? In the reafoning contained in this verfe, from which I am now fpeaking, the Lord propofes the most powerful arguments to induce his people to comply with the preceding directions, to wash, and make clean, and put away the evil of their doings, whilft he gives the most convincing demonftration of the riches of his grace. An earthly prince would hardly deign to reason with his rebellious fubjects concerning the wickedness of their revolt, and the way in which they may hope to be pardoned; yet the Lord of hofts calls thofe whofe hands were full of blood, and whofe fervices were an abomination, to hearken to his reviving declarations. Whilst we contemplate with wonder the infinite compaffion of Jehovah, in thus familiarly addreffing us, let us diligently attend to the inftructive reafoning fubjoined in the following words: Though your fins be as fcarlet, they shall be as white as fnow, though they be red like crimson, they fhall be as wool. Both thefe expreffions feem to be of the fame import, the one ferving to illustrate and confirm the other, and therefore I fhall confider them together. Sin is the tranfgreflion of the law; or, as it is well defined in our Shorter Catechifm, it confifts in any want of conformity unto, or tranfgreffion against the law |