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Vers. 18. Their drink is soure: they have commit∣ted whoredome continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye:
In the second branch of this article, their sins against the Second Table are laid to their charge; namely, 1. Their in∣temperance in drinking till it corrupted in their stomack, which made them to vomit it up again. 2. Their incessant filthinesse. 3. Their covetousnesse and corrupting of justice thereby. Whence learn, 1. It is the great madnesse of the children of men, that if they attain to any greatnesse, they make it shine in nothing but in eminent beastly sins, as if all grandour consisted in this, as here we see in these great ones in Israel. 2. Mens a∣busing of the good creatures of God, and distempering their own bodies through intemperance, is an iniquity for which God will reckon with the greatest; for, it is a challenge, their drink is soure, or gone, to wit, from its native savour and taste, being putrified in their stomack, so that they cannot digest it. 3. As uncleannesse is a sin not easily shaken off, when once men are en∣gaged in it, but it will be their Master, far beyond their first reso∣lutions; so such obstinacy in it is odious before God, when men become devoted and incessant slaves to their own lusts; for, it is a cause of anger, They have committed whoredome con∣tinually. 4. It is a shameful sin in rulers and men of power e∣specially, to be covetous, and to love bribes and reward, and such cannot but pervert justice, and they do come to the height of impudencie, when they are so affected with it, as they dare avow such a course, and command bribes to be brought to them; for, her rulers with shame do love, Give ye: or, it is a shame that they who should be shields, (as it is in the Original) to protect the people from oppression, should oppresse the people with ta∣king of bribes, and corrupting of justice thereby, and that they should love not only to take, but to seek and command them to give.