This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further further information or permissions.
Verse 8. And they lay themselves downe upon clothes laid to pledge, by every altar, and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
The third particular sinne laid to their charge, is, their joyning of oppression with Idolatry, and seeking to palliate it by their corrupt worship; for they not onely took and detained the poore mans pledge, contrary to the law, and did unjustly fine men and exact money of them; but when they had done so, they durst goe to
their Idols Temples and their Altars, to worship, and thought all well enough if they employed the unlawfull purchase in sacrifices and feasts before their Idols, Whence learne 1. The Lord abhorreth cruelty, even in mens pro∣secuting of their rights, against the poore; for so much doth the Law against detaining of the poore mans pledge, Exod. 22.26, 27. teach, for the violation whereof they are here challenged, they lay themselves downe upon cloaths laid to pledge, that is, they not onely detained them, but did weare and make use of them. 2. Idolatry in worship, and corrupt conversation are very neere in kin, and will agree well together; for, worshipping of that which they ac∣counted their God (who was not the true God, who would not be represented by their calves) and their ma∣ny Altars, doe suit well with detaining of pledges, and condemning of men unjustly. Which should warne the followers of the true Religion, that they doe not put a blot upon it by such courses. 3. As Idolatry is a very licentious way, for they lie downe there, (as was the cu∣stome at Feasts, Ezek. 23.41.) and drink wine, and are still at Feasts in their Idol service; So ill purchase is or∣dinarily ill spent, and employed in Idolatry, and Luxu∣ry, or the like; for so did they with their pledges and fines. 4. It is an high degree of impiery, when men dare avow sinne before, and in worshipping of that which they suppose to be a deity; for it was their great presum∣ption that they lay themselves downe upon cloaths laid to pledge, by every Altar, and they drink the wine of the condemn∣ed in the house of their God, see Matth. 5.23, 24. 5. It is also yet higher presumption, when men doe think that outward shewes or performances of Religion (whether it be true or false) are sufficient to expiate, or cover their grosse oppressions or iniquities; for in this also they sinned, that they thought all well enough, if they came and made offerings to their Idols of their unlawful pur∣chase; Which was a great errour, had the way of Reli∣gion been even pure and and according to the rule, as it was not; see Jer. 7.8, 9, 10, 11.