d professions are abomination,
no acceptation of those that turn away their ears from obedience to the
law, who walk contrary to it. Ver. 10: These cunning and crafty men that
have enticed some godly men, and led them on in the present course, shall
themselves smart for it, when the godly seduced shall see good things
after all this. Ver. 12: When wicked men have power and trust, good men
hide and retire themselves from such a congregation or assembly of the
wicked. See chap. x. 10, 11. Should we thus choose our own plague,
tyranny, oppression, calamity, and misery, and cast away our own glory?
Then, (ver. 13) repentance requires time and ingenuous confession, and
real forsaking. If both these join not, it is but a covering and hiding of
sin. If a man confess, and yet walk and continue in them, he is but using
his confession as a covering to retain his sins, and such shall not find
mercy of God, or prosper before men. Ver. 14: It is not so despisable a
thing to fear alway, and to be very jealous of sin as it is now made. It
is counted a reproach to have any scruples at the present course. But
happy is he that abstaineth from all appearance of evil, but he that
emboldeneth himself, and will not question any thing that makes for
advantage, falls into mischief. Ver. 15, 17 show the lamentable condition
of a people under wicked rulers. They are beasts and not men towards the
people, especially towards the best, Dan. vii. 4, 5, Zeph. iii. 3. Ver.
17: How doth that agree with our sparing of bloody men, of our soliciting
for their impunity, of our pardoning them? Are they not, by the
appointment of God's law, ordained for destruction, and haste to it?
Should any then stay them? Should they not then far less employ them? And,
(ver. 24) if it be so heinous to take our father's goods upon this
pretence, because they are our own, how much more sacrilege is it to rob
God of his interests, and give over his money to bankrupts, and say it is
no transgression to rob the land of its defence, and make them naked, as
Ahaz his confederacy did? Certainly it is murder. Ver. 28 and chap. xxix.
2 and xi. 12 and xxviii. 28 are to one purpose. We have forsaken our own
mercy and wronged our own souls; and destroyed ourselves in choosing our
own judgment, and making our own rod to beat us withal. Chap. xxix. 1: We
being so often reproved by his word and providence for the sin of
association with the wicked, and being so lately punished for it, and