Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/345

Rh him up for us all. The first ripe of their corn they must not delay to offer; there is danger, if we delay our duty, lest we wholly omit it; and, by slipping the first opportunity, in expectation of another, we suffer Satan to cheat us of all our time. Let not young people delay to offer to God the first fruits of their time and strength, lest their delays come, at last, to be denials, through the deceitfulness of sin, and the more convenient season they promise themselves, never arrive. Yet it is provided, that the firstlings of their cattle should not be dedicated to God till they were past seven days old, for then they began to be good for something. Note, God is the first and best, and therefore must have the first and best.

4. A distinction put between the Jews and all other people; Ye shall be holy men unto me; and one mark of that honourable distinction is appointed in their diet, which was, that they should not eat any flesh that was torn of beasts, (v. 31.) not only because it was unwholesome, but because it was paltry, and base, and covetous, and a thing below those who were holy men unto God, to eat the leavings of the beasts of prey. We that are sanctified to God, must not be curious in our diet; but we must be conscientious, not feeding ourselves without fear, but eating and drinking by rule, the rule of sobriety, to the glory of God..

CHAP. XXIII. This chapter continues and concludes the acts that passed in the first session (if I may so call it) upon mount Sinai. Here are, I. Some laws of universal obligation, relating especially to the ninth commandment, against bearing false witness, (v. 1.) and giving false judgment, v. 2, 3, 6..8. Also a law of doing good to our enemies, (v. 4, 5.) and not oppressing strangers, v. 9. II. Some laws peculiar to the Jews. The sabbatical year, (v. 10, 11.) the three annual feasts, (v. 14..17.) with some laws pertaining thereto. III. Gracious promises of the completing of the mercy God had begun for them, upon condition of their obedience. That God would conduct them through the wilderness, (v. 20..24.) That he would prosper all they had, (v. 25, 26.) That he would put them in possession of Canaan, v. 27..31. But they must not mingle themselves with the nations, v. 32, 33.

HOU shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: 3. Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. 4. If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him; thou shalt surely help with him. 6. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. 7. Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. 8. And thou shalt take no gift; for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. 9. Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Here are,

I. Cautions concerning judicial proceedings; it was not enough that they had good laws, better than ever any nation had, but care must be taken for the due administration of justice according to those laws.

1. The witnesses are here cautioned, that they neither occasion an innocent man to be indicted, by raising a false report of him, and setting common fame against him, nor assist in the prosecution of an innocent man, or one whom they do not know to be guilty, by putting their hand in swearing, as witnesses against him, v. 1. Bearing false witness against a man, in a matter that touches his life, has in it all the guilt of lying, perjury, malice, theft, murder, with the additional stains of colouring all with a pretence of justice, and involving many others in the same guilt. There is scarcely any one act of wickedness that a man can possibly be guilty of, which has in it a greater complication of villanies than this has. Yet the former part of this caution is to be extended to common conversation, and not only to judicial proceedings; so that slandering and backbiting are a species of false-witness bearing; a man's reputation lies as much at the mercy of every company, as his estate or life does at the mercy of a judge or jury; so that he who raises, or knowingly spreads, a false report against his neighbour, especially if the report be made to wise and good men, whose esteem one would desire to enjoy, sins as much against the laws of truth, justice, and charity, as a false witness does—with this further mischief, that he leaves it not in the power of the person injured to right himself. That which we translate, Thou shalt not raise, the margin reads, Thou shalt not receive, a false report; for sometimes the receiver, in this case, is as bad as the thief; and a backbiting tongue would not do so much mischief as it does, if it were not countenanced. Sometimes we cannot avoid hearing a false report, but we must not receive it, that is, we must not hear it with pleasure and delight, as those that rejoice in iniquity; nor give credit to it, as long as there remains any cause to question the truth of it. This is charity to our neighbour's good name, and doing as we would be done by.

2. The judges are here cautioned not to pervert judgment.

(1.) They must not be over-ruled, either by might or multitude, to go against their consciences in giving judgment, v. 2. With the Jews, causes were tried by a bench of Justices, and judgment given according to the majority of votes; in which case, every particular justice must go according to truth, as it appeared to him upon the strictest and most impartial inquiry, though the multitude of the people, and their outcries, or the sentence of the Rabbim, (we translate it many,) the more ancient and honourable of the justices, went the other way. Therefore (as with us) among the Jews, the junior upon the bench voted first, that he might not be swayed or over-ruled by the authority of the senior. Judges must not respect the persons either of the parties, or of their fellow-judges. The former part of this verse also gives a general rule for all, as well as judges, not to follow a multitude to do evil. General usage will never excuse us in a bad practice; nor is the broad way ever the better or safer, for its being tracked and crowded. We must inquire what we ought to do, not what the majority do; because we must be judged by our Master, not by our fellow-servants; and it is too great a compliment, to be willing to go to hell for company.

(2.) They must not pervert judgment, no, not in favour of a poor man, v. 3. Right must in all cases take place, and wrong must be punished, and justice never biassed, nor injury connived at, under pretence of charity and compassion. If a poor man be a bad man, and do a bad thing, it is foolish pity to let him fare the better for his poverty, Deut 1. 16, 17.