Vers. 34. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
Those threatnings inculcated in the former Argu∣ments, are (in the close of all this Discourse) ampli∣fied, and the equity thereof cleared, from the con∣sideration of the sins procuring these judgments. Wherein he instanceth his assertion, that self-de∣luding sinners will be plagued, as verified on several sorts of them. In this verse he pitcheth upon the sins of hypocrisie and bribery (of both which he unjustly suspects Job was guilty) and asserteth that, when men are guilty of those, their Societies and Families (though never so great, and straitly combined) are justly laid desolate, and wrath, like ••i••e, pulls down and consumes their houses, however they delude them∣selves in their sinful courses.
Whence Learn,
1. Hypocrites are under a special curse from God, as mocking him, and wronging the holy Profession; Therefore in this reason of the former judgments, taken from the sins of wicked men, Hypocrites are put in the first rank here, as those especially whom God cannot endure. For the Congregation of Hypocrites shall be desolate.
2. It is righteous with God, not only to plague Hypocrites in their persons, but to ruine their fami∣lies for their cause, as well as the families of the open∣ly prophane; and to break their combinations, were they never so strong or numerous. For, both these are included in the Congregation of the Hypocrites, which shall be desolate.
3. As bribery is an horrid sin; so it is a sin where∣in Hypocrites may fall, as well as the profane. They are not sound in their Religion, nor are they morti∣fied to their interests, and therefore they are ready to seek after the things of the world in a wicked way;