A81199:195
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth chapters of the book of Job being the sum of thirty-seven lectures, delivered at Magnus near London Bridge. By Joseph Caryl, preacher of the Word, and pastor of the congregation there.An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth chapters of the book of Job being the summe of thirty-seven lectures, delivered at Magnus near London Bridge. By Joseph Caryl, preacher of the Word, and pastour of the congregation there.
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Again, Some render thus, (not thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother, but) Thou hast taken thy brother for a pledge. This speaks yet louder, and is a sin of a blacker colour then the former; thou hast not only taken thy brothers pledge, but himself, his very person for security or for payment. But what is it to take a mans brother for a pledge?1 or how was that done? These •wo things may be in it, either first more generally thou hast imprisoned him. As (Mat. 1•.28.) 'tis said of the cruel Creditor that he took his brother, and cast him into prison till he should pay the utmost farthing: now though all kind of imprisonment be not sinful, not only as to the law of Nations, but as to the Law of God; yet cruel imprisonment is very sinful; Thou hast taken thy brother for a pledge: Thou hast not spared his person when he had not a purse to pay thee; Thou hast (as it hath been said among us) made dice of his bones. Some would never pay, were it not for fear of a prison; but to put and detain a poor man in prison when he hath nothing to pay, is not only unchristian, but barbarous and inhumane. Or secondly (which was used in ancient times) Thou hast taken thy brother for a pledge, that is, thou hast made him thy slave: To be cast into prison is a slavery, and a man may be made a slave, yet not imprisoned. And though it may be a duty (when we have nothing else to satisfy it with) to work out a debt, yet it is a very high severity to force a debtor to pay with his work. We read how the poor widow came to Elisha the Prophet, and bemoaned her case to him, (2 King. 4.1.) Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen; This is to take a brother for a pledge; The Prophet seems to aim at this while he describes ⟨p. 55⟩those hypocritical fasts among the Jews (Isa. 58.6.) Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke; To fast and not to reform, is to mock God rather then to humble our selves. Here are the true fruits of fasting. And they all run into the point in hand, the avoiding and turning from all injurious and vexatious dealings with our Brethren.