An exposition with practical observations upon the three first chapters of the book of…

Seeing then it is such a wound and a terror, to be under the power of insulting oppressors, who will not only strike with the sword, but strike with every word: Let us pity and pray for our brethren that are under the hands, yea feet, and which is worse, under the tongues of such drivers; pity them, in regard of the wants which they feel, and of the words they hear every day. And let us betimes hearken to another voice, that we may not at last come to hear this voice, O that my people had hearkened unto me (saith God, Psal. 81.) If we would hearken to the voice of God, we should not hear the voice of such men. It is the punishment which God lays upon a people, (and it is a suitable punishment) for not hearing his voice, that he gives them up to hear this voice; when a Nation will not hear the voice of the Prophets, then they must hear the voice of oppressors; Let us hasten to hear the voice, the sweet voice, the pleasant voice of our God in his ministers of the Gospel, lest we be given up to hear the dreadful, grating, cutting voice of such miscreants, who yet are the ministers of Gods just displeasure against a disobedient people. If we, like the deaf adder, stop our ears at the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely, (Psal. 58.5.) doubtless the Lord will (yea he hath done it in part already) send Serpents and Cockatrices among us, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite us, (with bitter and sharp words,) Jer: 8.17. Let us therefore so hear the voice of the word, that we may be delivered from ⟨p. 434⟩this rod of the voice (which smarts worse then the voice of the rod,) and from the scourge of tongues. And let us pray, that God would hasten the performance either of that gracious promise, (Isa. 14.2.) They shall take them captives whose captives they were, and they shall rule over their oppressors: or of that, (Isa. 60.17.) that he would make those great and notable changes in the Church, and give us for brass gold, and for iron silver, and for wood brass, and for stone iron: That he would also make our Officers peace, and our Exactors righteousness; This will be a time of refreshing indeed, And as the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets, since the world began,