Ye, O priests, your sin, your sacrilege, of which you are guilty, hath provoked me. Are cursed with a curse; are greatly cursed, and are likely still to be cursed, the curse shall continue whilst you continue in this your sinful course. For ye have robbed me; this brought, increased, and multiplied your curse. Or, as some, yet ye do rob me ! Strange that you dare sin, whilst I am punishing for this very sin! Or by way of question, and do ye rob me ? will you go on thus to sin when you are under the curse for it? will you, as Ahaz, sin when in distress; or, Pharaoh-like, harden under the judgment? Even this whole nation: like priest like people; the priests and Levites did unduly employ the tithes and offerings, and the people did unduly pay: it is like the people observed how much of the tithes were laid out otherwise than the law directed, and they were ready to think they might do well enough to keep that for a use better (as they did think) than the use the priests and Levites put it to, they thought it was ill spent by the priests, and well saved by them; but this, however seemingly excuse them to themselves, it leaves them guilty before God: the whole nation is sacrilegious, and the whole nation cursed for it.

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising