Is it strange, if among these there should be some, who are cruel, _oppressive_ men? Inasmuch as covetousness knows no mercy, nor can a lover of money be a lover of his neighbour. Have not some been known even to _grind the face of the poor_? To strip, rather than cloath the naked? Some, who while they cried out, _as the horse-leech, Give, give_, would take, if it was not given; like those of old who said, _Thou shalt give it me now, and if not, I will take it by force_: or those spoken of by _Micah_, _The prophets bite with their teeth, and cry peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him_. Very great is the sin of these men before the Lord. If there be ten such now in the land, may God smite them this day with terror and astonishment, that they may have no rest in their bones till their sin is done away! 34. Are _you_ as watchful and zealous to gain souls, as those are to gain the gold that perisheth? Do you know by experience what that meaneth, _The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up_? Or are you one of those watchmen who do not watch at all? Who neither know nor care when the sword cometh? Of whom the prophet saith, _They are dumb dogs that cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber_. * Can it be supposed, that such shepherds will _feed the flock_? Will _give to every one his portion of meat in due season_? Will these _warn every man, and exhort every man, that they may present every man perfect in_ Christ Jesus? Will they take care to “know all their flock by name, not forgetting ♦the men-servants and women-servants?” Will they enquire into the state of every soul committed to their charge? And watch over each with all tenderness and long-suffering, _as they that must give account_? Marking how they either fall or rise? How these wax _weary and faint in their mind_; and those _grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour_ Jesus Christ? Who can do this, unless his whole heart be in the work? Unless he desire nothing but to _spend and be spent for them_; and _count not his life dear unto himself_, so he may _present them blameless_ in the day of the Lord Jesus. ♦ “their” replaced with “the” per Errata