57.  Is the undertaking then so serious and laborious to a sensitive and sad heart—a very rottenness to the bones173    Prov. xiv. 30. of a sensible man:  while the danger is slight, and a fall not worth consideration?  Nay the blessed Hosea inspires me with serious alarm, where he says that to us priests and rulers pertaineth the judgment,174    Hos. v. 1, 2. because we have been a snare to the watchtower; and as a net spread upon Tabor, which has been firmly fixed by the hunters of men’s souls, and he threatens to cut off the wicked prophets,175    Ib. vi. 5. and devour their judges with fire, and to cease for a while from anointing a king and princes,176    Ib. vii. 7. because they ruled for themselves, and not by Him.177    Ib. viii. 4.

ΝΖʹ. Ἄρ' οὖν τὸ μὲν ἔργον τοσοῦτον, καὶ οὕτως ἐπίπονον τῇ αἰσθητικῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ λυπηρᾷ, καὶ ὄντως σὴς ὀστέων τῷ γε νοῦν ἔχοντι. Μικρὸς δὲ ὁ κίνδυνος, ἢ τὸ πτῶμα εὐκαταφρόνητον; Ἀλλά μοι πολὺν ἐπανατείνεται φόβον ἔνθεν μὲν ὁ μακάριος Ὠσηὲ, πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἶναι τὸ κρίμα λέγων τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ὅτι παγὶς ἐγενήθημεν τῇ σκοπιᾷ, καὶ ὡς δίκτυον ἐκτεταμένον ἐπὶ τὸ Ἰταβύριον, ὃ καταπεπῆχθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνας ἀγρευόντων ψυχὰς, ἀποθερίζειν τε τοὺς φαύλους ἀπειλῶν προφήτας, καὶ πυρὶ καταναλίσκειν τοὺς κριτὰς αὐτῶν, ἐφέξειν τε μικρὸν τοῦ χρίειν βασιλέα καὶ ἄρχοντας: ὅτι ἑαυτοῖς ἐβασίλευσαν, ἀλλ' οὐ δι' αὐτοῦ.