Ohs. 2. From that hut you. He opposeth their practice to God's dispensation; that despising the poor is a sin, not only against the word and written will of God, but his mind and intent in his works and dispensations. It is a kind of gigantomachy, a resisting of God. (1.) It is against the mind of God in their creation : Prov. xxii. 2, ' The rich and the poor meet together, the Lord is the maker of them both ; ' that is, they meet in this, that they have but one maker. There is another meeting, Job iii. 15 ; they meet in the grave, they meet in their death, and in their maker. Now God never made a creature for contempt. These considerations should restrain it. They were made as we were, and they die as we do. The poor man is called our ' own flesh,' Isa. Iviii. 7 ; Adam's child, as we are. (2.) It is against God's providence, — his common providence, who hath con- stituted this order in the world : Prov. xvii. 5, ' Whoso reproacheth the poor despiseth his maker ;' that is, contemneth the wise dispensa- tion of God, who would have the world to consist of hills and valleys, and the poor intermingled with the rich ; therefore Christ saith, Mat. xxvi. 11, ' The poor you have always present with you.' It is one of the settled constitutions and laws of providence, and it is necessary for the uses and services of the world ; this preserveth order. There are many offices and functions which human societies cannot want, and therefore some men's spirits are fitted for handicrafts, and hard manual labours, to which men of a higher spirit and delicate breeding will not condescend. (3.) It is also against God's special providence, by which many times the greatest gifts are bestowed upon them that are poor and despicable in the world ; their wit being sharpened by necessity, they may have the clearer use of reason. Naaman's servant saw more than his master, 2 Kings v. 13 ; and Solomon telleth of *a poor man that delivered the city,' Eccles. ix. 1.5. Nay, God many times putteth that singular honour of being heirs of salvation upon them. The poor are rich in faith in the context ; and then in j ury must needs redound to him, for they are his friends and children ; and friends have all things common, both courtesies and injuries.
202 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. II. G.
Ohs. 3. Ricli men are usually persecutors or oppressors. Their wickedness hath the advantage of an occasion. And usually when a disposition and an occasion meet together, then sin is drawn forth and discovered. Many have will, but have no power. The world would be a common stage to act all manner of villanies upon, were it not for such restraints of providence. Therefore Solomon maketh an oppressing poor men to be a kind of wonder and prodigy. Besides, riches exalt the mind, and efferate it. They have had little experience of misery, and so have little pity. God's motives to Israel were these : Do good to strangers, for thou wert a stranger ; and do good to the poor, for thy father was a poor Syrian. Such reasonings aro frequent in scripture. But now, when men live altogether at ease, their hearts are not meekened with a sense of the accidents and inconveniences of the common life. And therefore, having power in their hands, they use it, as beasts do their strength, in acts of violence. The prophet often complaineth, Amos vi., of ' the excellency of Jacob,' and ' the oppression that was in her palaces.' Again, wealth often endeth in pride, and pride breaketh all common and moral restraints ; and so men make their will a law, and think as if the rest of the world were made to serve their pleasures. And besides, the world filleth their hearts with a ravenous desire to have more of the world, how unjustly soever it be purchased and gotten. You see the reason why they are oppressors and they are persecutors, because commonly the meanest are most forward in religion. The spirit of the world and the spirit of Christ are at enmity. The gospel putteth men upon the same level, which persons elevated and exalted cannot endure. Besides, they are afraid that the things of Christ will bring some disturbance to their worldly concernments and possessions. The Jewish rulers were afraid of division among the people, and the coming in of the Eomans. The Gadarenes were afraid of their hogs. Many such reasons might be given. Well, then, rich men should be more care- ful to avoid the sins that seem to cleave to their rank and order. It is ver}' hard, but ' with God all things are possible.' Wealth is called ' the mammon of unrighteousness,' Luke xvi. 9, because it is usually the instrument and incentive of it. That of Jerome is harsh, but too often true — Omnis dives aut iniquus est, out iniqui hceres — that every rich man is either an oppressor himself, or the heir of one. Certainly it is but almost impossible to be rich and righteous. There are many evils incident to your state. Moral e\als, such as heathens disceraed, as pride : ' Charge them that they be not high-minded,' 1 Tim. vi. 17. Boasting, with some contempt of others : Jer. ix. 23, ' Let not the rich man glory in his riches ; ' so injustice : Prov. xxii. 7, ' The rich ruleth over the poor ; ' that is, by force and \'iolence : the word may be read, ' domineereth.' Then luxury and profuseness. Men abuse the fatness of their portion, and lay it out upon their lusts. Dives ' fared deliciously every day.' But there are also spiritual evils, which are worse, because they lie more closely and undiscerned. These are — (1.) Forgetting of God, when he hath remembered them most. Men that live at case have little or no sense of duty. Agur prayeth, ' Give me not riches, lest I be full, and deny thee,' Prov. xxx. 9. And (2.) creature-confidence. Hence those frequent cautions : 1