THE RESCVE of Gibeon.

THE life of the Gi­beonites, must cost thē seruitude from Israel, and danger from their neigh­bours: if Ioshua will but sit stil, the deceit of the Gibeonites shall be re­uenged by his enemies. Fiue kings are vp in Armes against them, and are ready to pay their fraude with [Page 2] violence: VVhat should these poore men doe? If they make not their peace, they die by strangers; if they doe make their peace with Forrainers, they must die by neighbours. There is no course that threatens not some danger; Wee haue sped well if our choice hath light vpon the easiest incon­uenience.

If these Hiuites haue sinned a­gainst God, against Israel, yet what haue they done to their neigh­bours? I heare of no trechery, no secret information, no attempt. I see no sinne but their league with Israel, & their life: yet (for ought we find) they were free men; no way either obliged, or obnoxious. As Satan, so wicked men cannot [Page 3] abide to lose any of their commu­nity: if a Conuert come home, the Angels welcome him with songs, the Diuels follow him with vprore and fury, his old Partners vvith scornes and obloquy.

I finde these neighbour Princes halfe dead with feare, and yet they can finde time to be sick of enuie. Malice in a wicked hart is the king of Passions: all other vaile & bow when it comes in place; euen their owne life was not so deare to them as reuenge. Who would not ra­ther haue lookt, that these Kings should haue tryed to haue follow­ed the Copie of this league? or if their fingers did itch to fight, why did they not rather think of a defensiue war against Israel, then [Page 4] an offensiue against the Gibeonites. Gibeon was strong, and would not bee won without bloud; yet these Amorites, which at their best were too weake for Israel, would spend their forces before hand on their neighbors. Here was a strong ha­tred in weake breasts: they feared, and yet began to fight; they fea­red Jsrael, yet began to fight with Gibeon. If they had sat still, their destruction had not beene so sud­daine: the malice of the wicked, hastens the pase of their owne iudgement. No rod is so fit for a mischieuous man, as his owne.

Gibeon, and these other Cities of the Hiuites, had no King: & none yeelded, and escaped, but they. Their Elders consulted before for [Page 5] their league; neither is there any challenge sent to the King, but to the Citie: And now the fiue Kings of the Amorits haue vniustly com­pacted against them. Soueraignty abused, is a great spur to out-rage; the conceit of authoritie in great persons, many times lies in the way of their own safety, whiles it vvill not let them stoope to the ordina­rie courses of inferiours. Hence it is, that heauen is peopled with so few Great-ones: hence it is, that true contentment seldome dwells high; whiles meaner men of hum­bled spirits, enioy both earth and heauen.

The Gibeonites had wel proued that thogh they wanted an Head, yet they wanted not wit; and now [Page 6] the same wit that won Ioshua and Israel to their friendship and pro­tection, teacheth them to make vse of those they had won. If they had not more trusted Ioshua, then their walls, they had neuer stolne that league; & whē shold they haue vse of their new Protectors, but now that they were assailed? Whither should wee fly but to our Ioshua, when the powers of darknes (like mighty Amorites) haue besieged vs? If euer wee will send vp our prayers to him, it will be, when we are beleaguered with euils. If we trust to our owne resistance, wee cannot stand; we cannot miscary, if we trust to his: in vaine shall we send to our Ioshua in these straits, if we haue not before come to him in our freedom.

[Page 7] Which of vs would not haue thought Ioshua had a good pre­tence for his forbearance; & haue said, You haue stolne your league with me; why do you expect help from him whom yee haue decei­ued? All that wee promised you, was a sufferance to liue; inioy what wee promised, wee will not take your life from you; Hath your faithfulnes deserued to ex­pect more then our couenant; we neuer promised to hazard our liues for you, to giue you life with the losse of our owne. But that good man durst not construe his owne couenant to such an aduan­tage; Hee knew little difference betwixt killing them with his own sword, and the sword of an Amo­rite: vvhosoeuer should giue the [Page 8] blow, the murder would bee his. Euen permission in those things wee may remedy, makes vs no lesse actors then consent; some men kill as much by looking on, as others by smiting: VVee are guilty of all the euill wee might haue hindered.

The noble disposition of Ioshua, besides his ingagement, will not let him forsake his new vassalls: Their confidence in him, is argu­ment enough to draw him into the Field. The greatest obligation to a good mind, is anothers trust▪ which to disappoint, were merci­lesly perfidious. How much lesse shall our true Ioshua faile the con­fidence of our faith? Oh my Sa­uiour, if we send the messengers o [...] [Page 9] our prayers to thee into thy Gil­gal, thy mercy bindes thee to re­leefe: neuer any soule miscaried that trusted thee; we may be wan­ting in our trust, our trust can ne­uer want success.

Speed in bestowing, doubles a gift; a benefit deferred, loses the thanks, and prooues vnprofitable. Ioshua marches all night, & fights all day for the Gibeonites: They tooke not so much pains in com­ming to deceiue him, as he in go­ing to deliuer them. It is the no­blest victory to ouercome euill with good; if his very Israelites had been in danger he could haue done no more: God, and his Io­shua, make no difference betwixt Gibeonites Israelited, and his owne [Page 10] naturall people. All are Israelites whom he hath taken to league: we strangers of the Gentiles, are now the true Iewes; GOD neuer did more for the naturall Oliue, then for that wild Impe which he hath graffed in. And as these Hiuites could neuer be thankfull enough to such a Ioshua; no more can we to so gracious a Redeemer, vvho forgetting our vnwoorthiness, de­scended to our Gibeon, and rescu­ed vs from the powers of hell, and death.

Ioshua fought, but God discom­fited the Amorites; The praise is to the workman, not the instrument: Neither did God slay them onely with Ioshua's sword, but with his owne haile-stones; that now the [Page 11] Amorites may see both these re­uenges come frō one hand. These bullets of GOD doe not wound, but kill: It is no wonder that these fiue Kings flie; They may soone run away from their hope, neuer from their horror: If they looke behind, there is the sword of Isra­el, which they dare not turn vpon, because God had taken their hart from them, before their life: If they looke vpwards, there is the haile-shot of God fighting against them, out of heauen; which they can neither resist, nor auoyd.

If they had no enemy but Isra­el, they might hope to runne away from death, sith feare is a better footeman, then desire of reuenge; but novv, vvhither-soeuer they [Page 12] runne, heauen will be aboue their heads: And now, all the reason that is left them in this confusion of their thoughts, is to wish them­selues well dead; there is no eua­sion where GOD intends a re­uenge. Wee men haue deuised to imitate these instruments of death, and send foorth deadly bullets out of a clowd of smoke; wherein yet, as there is much danger, so much vncertaintie: but this God, that discharges his Ordinance from heauen, directs euery shotte to an head, and can as easily kil as shoot. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God: hee hath mo waies of vengeance, then hee hath creatures. The same heauen that sent foorth water to the old world, fire to the Sodomites, light­ning [Page 13] and thunderbolts to the E­gyptians, sends out haile-stones to the Amorites. It is a good care how wee may not anger God; it is a vain study how we may fly from his iudgements, when wee haue angred him; if wee could run out of the vvorld, euen there shall we finde his reuenges far greater.

Was it not miracle enough that God did braine their Aduersaries from heauen, but that the Sunne and Moone must stand stil in hea­uen? Is it not enough that the A­morites fly, but that the greatest Planets of heauen must stay their owne course, to witnesse, and won­der at the discomfiture? For him which gaue them both beeing and motion, to bid them stand still, it [Page 14] seemes no difficulty, although the rarenes would deserue admirati­on: but, for a man to commaund the chiefe starres of heauen (by whose influence he liueth) as the Centurion would do his seruant, Sunne stay in Gibeon, and Moone stand still in Aialon, it is more then a wonder. It was not Ioshua, but his faith that did this; not by way of precept, but of prayer. If I may not say that the request of a faith­full man (as wee say of the great) commaunds, Gods glorie vvas that which Ioshua aimed at: hee knew that all the world must needs be witnesses of that, which the eye of the world stood still to see. Had he respected but the slaughter of the Amorites, hee knew the haile-stones could doe that alone; the [Page 15] Sunne needed not stand still to di­rect that clowd to persecute them; but the glory of the slaughter was sought by Ioshua, that hee might send that vp, whence those haile-stones, and that victory came: All the earth might see the Sunne and Moon; all could not see the cloud of haile, which because of that heauie burden flew but low. That all Nations might knowe the same hand commands both in earth, in the clouds, in heauen, Ioshua now prayes, that hee which dishartned his enemies vpon earth, & smote them from the cloud, would stay the Sunne and Moone in heauen. God neuer got himselfe so much honour by one dayes worke a­mongst the heathen; and vvhen was it more fitte, then now, vvhen [Page 16] fiue heathen Kings are banded a­gainst him?

The Sun and the Moone were the ordinary Gods of the world: and who would not but think, that their standing still but one houre, should be the ruine of Nature? & now, all Nations shall well see, that there is an higher then their high­est; that their Gods are but ser­uants to the GOD whom them­selues should serue, at whose plea­sure both they and Nature shall stand at once. If that God which meant to work this miracle, had not raised vp his thoughts to de­sire it, it had bin a blameable pre­sumption, which now is a faith vvorthy of admiration. To desire a miracle without cause, is a temp­ting [Page 17] of God. O powerfull GOD that can effect this! O power of faith that can obtaine it! What is there that God cannot doe? and what is there which God can doe, that faith cannot doe?

THE ALTAR of the Reubenites.

REuben, and Gad, were the first that had an in­heritance assigned thē; yet they must inioy it last: So it falls out oft in the hea­uenly Canaan, the first in title, are the last in possession. They had their lot assigned them beyond Iorden; which tho it were allotted them in peace, must be purchased with their war: that must be done for their brethren, which needed not be done for themselues: they must yet still fight, and fight for-most, [Page 20] that as they had the first pa­trimonie, they might indure the first incounter. I do not hear them say, This is our share, let vs sitte downe, and enioy it quietly, fight who will for the rest: but when they knew their own portion, they leaue wiues and children to take possession, and march armed be­fore their brethren, till they had conquered all Canaan. Whether should wee more commend their courage, or their charitie? Others were mooued to fight with hope, they onely with loue: they could not winne more, they might lose themselues; yet they wil fight, both for that they had something, and that their brethren might haue. Thankfulnesse and loue can doe more with Gods children, then [Page 21] desire to merit, or necessitie: No true Israelite can (if hee might chuse) abide to sitte still beyond Iordan, when all his brethren are in the field. Now when all this war of God was ended, and all Canaan is both won and diuided, they re­turne to their owne; yet not till they were dismissed by Ioshua: all the sweet attractiues of their priuate loue cannot hasten their pase. If heauen be neuer so sweet to vs, yet may we not runne from this earthen warfare till our great Captaine shall please to discharge vs. If these Reubenites had depar­ted sooner, they had been recal­led, if not as cowards, surelie as fugitiues; now they are sent back with victorie and blessing. How safe and happie it is to attend [Page 22] both the call, and the dispatch of GOD!

Beeing returned in peace to their home, their first care is, not for Trophees; nor for houses, but for an Altar to God; an Altar, not for sacrifice, which had been abo­minable, but for a memoriall what God they serued. The first care of true Israelites, must be the safe­tie of Religion; the world, as it is inferiour in worth, so must it be in respect: Hee neuer knew God a­right, that can abide any compe­tition with his Maker.

The rest of the Tribes no soo­ner heare newes of their new Al­tar, but they gather to Shiloh, to fight against them: they had scarce [Page 23] breathed from the Cananitish war, and now they will goe fight with their brethren: if their brethren will (as they suspected) turne Ido­laters, they cannot hold them any other then Canaanites. The Reu­benites & their fellowes, had new­ly settled the rest of Israel in their possessions, and now ere they can be warme in their seates, Israel is vp in Armes to thrust them out of their owne: the hatred of their su­spected Idolatry, makes them for­get either their bloud, or their be­nefits. Israel sayes, These men were the first in our battels, and shall be the first in our reuenge; They fought well for vs, wee will try how they can fight for them­selues. VVhat if they were our Champions? Their reuolt from [Page 24] God hath lost them the thanke of their former labours; their Idola­try shall make them of brethren, aduersaries; their own bloud shall giue handsell to their new Altar. O noble and religious zeale of Is­rael! Who would think these men the sonnes of them that danced a­bout the molten Calfe? That con­secrated an Altar to that Idol? Now they are ready to die or kill, rather then endure an Altar with­out an Idol. Euery ouerture in matter of Religion, is woorthie of suspicion, worthie of our speedie opposition: God lookes for an early redresse of the first begin­nings of impietie. As in treasons or mutinies, wise states-men find it safest to kill the serpent in the egge; so in motions of spirituall [Page 25] alterations: one spoonefull of wa­ter will quench that fire at the first, which afterwards whole buckets cannot abate.

Yet doe not these zealous Isra­elires runne rashly and furiouslie vpon their brethren, nor say, What need wee expostulate? The fact is cleare: what care wee for words, when wee see their Altar? What can this meane, but either seruice to a false God, or diuision in the seruice of the true? There can bee no excuse for so manifest a crime: Why doe we not rather thinke of punishment, then satisfaction? But they send ere they goe; and consult ere they execute. Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest, and ten Princes (for euery Tribe one) [Page 26] are addressed both to inquire, & disswade; to inquire of the pur­pose of the fact; to disswade from that which they imagined was pur­posed. Wisedome is a good guide to zeale, and onely can keepe it from running out into furie: If discretion doe not hold in the raynes, good intentions wil both breake their owne necks, and the riders: yea, which is strange, with­out this, the zeale of God, may leade vs from God.

Not onely wisedome, but chari­tie mooued them to this message. For, grant they had beene guiltie, must they perish vnwarn'd? Peace­able meanes must first be vsed to recall them, ere violence be sent to persecute them. The old rule [Page 27] of Israel, hath been still to inquire of Abel; No good Shepheard sends his dog to pul out the throat of his strayed sheepe, but rather fetches it on his shoulders to the fold: Sudden crueltie stands not with religion: He which will not himselfe breake the bruised reed, how will hee allow vs, either to bruise the whole, or to breake the bruised, or to burne the broken?

Neither yet was here more cha­ritie in sending, then vncharitable­ness in the misconstruction. They begin with a challenge; & charge their brethren deeply with trans­gression, apostasie, rebellion. I know not how two contrary qua­lities fall into loue; it is not natu­rally suspicious, & yet many times [Page 28] suggests iealous feares of those we affect. If these Israelites had not lo­ued their brethren, they wold ne­uer haue sent so farre to restraine them; they had neuer offred them part of their owne patrimonie: if they had not been excessiuely iea­lous, they had not censured a doubtfull action, so sharply. They met at Shilo, where the Taberna­cle was; but if they had consulted with the Arke of God, they had saued both this labor, & this chal­lenge: This case seemed so plain, that they thought aduice needless: Their inconsiderateness therefore brands their brethren with crimes whereof they were innocent; and makes themselues the onely of­fenders. In cases which are doubt­full and vncertaine, it is safe either [Page 29] to suspend the iudgement, or to passe it in fauor; otherwise, a plain breach of charitie in vs, shall bee worse then a questionable breach of iustice in another.

Yet this little gleame of their vncharitable loue began at them­selues; if they had not feared their owne iudgements in the offence of Ruben, I knowe not whether they had been so vehement: The fearefull reuenges of their brethe­rens sinne are still in their eye. The wickednes of Peor, stretched not so farre as the plague; Achan sin­ned, and Israel was beaten: there­fore by iust induction, they argue (Ye rebel to day against the Lord, tomorrow wil the Lord be wroth with all the Congregation.) They [Page 30] still tremble at the vengeance pas­sed; and finde it time to preuent their own punishment, in punish­ing their brethren. Gods procee­dings haue then their right vse, when they are both carefully re­membred, and made patterns of what he may doe.

Had these Reubenites been as hot in their answere, as the Israelites were in their charge, heere had grown a bloudy warre out of mis­prision: But now their answer is milde and moderate, and such as wel shewed, that though they were further from the Arke, yet no lesse neer to GOD. They thought in thēselues, This act of ours, though it were wel meant by vs, yet might well be by interpretation scanda­lous; [Page 31] it is reason our mildnesse should giue satisfaction for that offence, vvhich we haue not pre­uented. Heereupon, their answer was as pleasing, as their act vvas dangerous. Euen in those acti­ons whereby an offence may be occasioned (though not giuen) charitie bindes vs to cleare both our owne name, and the consci­ence of others.

Little did the Israelites looke for so good a ground of an action so suspicious; An Altar vvithout a sacrifice? An Altar and no Ta­bernacle? An Altar without a precept, and yet not against God? It is not safe to measure all mens actions by our owne conceit, but rather to thinke there may bee a [Page 32] further drift, and warrant of their act, then we can attaine to see.

By that time the Reubenites haue commented vpon their owne vvorke, it appeares as iustifiable, as before offensiue. What vvise­dome and religion is found in that Altar, which before showed no­thing but Idolatry? This discourse of theirs, is full both of reason and pietie; We are seuered by the ri­uer Iordan from the other Tribes; perhaps heereafter, our choice may exclude vs from Israel: Po­steritie may peraduenture say, Iordan is the bounds of all natural Israelites; the streames whereof neuer gaue way to those beyond the Riuer: If they had beene ours, either in bloud or religion, they [Page 33] would not haue been sequestred in habitation. Doubtlesse therfore these men are the ofspring of som Strangers, which by vicinity of a­bode, haue gotten some tincture of our language, manners, religi­on; What haue wee to doe with them, what haue they to doe with the Tabernacle of God? Sith ther­fore we may not either remooue Gods Altar to vs, or remoue our Patrimonie to the Altar; The Pat­terne of the Altar shall go with vs, not for sacrifice, but for memori­all; that both the posterity of the other Israelites may know, we are no lesse deriued from them, then this Altar from theirs; & that our posterity may know, they pertain to that Altar, whereof this is the resemblance. There was no dan­ger [Page 34] of the present; but posteritie might both offer and receiue pre­iudice, if this Monumēt were not. It is a wise & holy care to preuent the dangers of ensuing times, and to settle religion vpon the succee­ding generations. As we affect to leaue a perpetuity of our bodilie issue, so much more to traduce pi­etie with them. Doe wee not see good husbands set and plant those trees, whereof their grand-chil­dren shall receiue the first fruit, & shade? Why are we lesse thrifty in leauing true religion intire, to our childrens children?

Ehud and Eglon.

AS euery man is guiltie of his own sorrow, these Israelites bred mischiefe to themselues: It vvas their mercy that plagued them with those Canaanites, which their obedience shold haue rooted out. If foolish pitty be a more humane sinne, yet it is no lesse dangerous then crueltie: Cruelty kils others, vniust pittie kills our selues. They had beene Lords alone of the pro­mised Land, if their commiserati­on had not ouer-swayed their iu­stice; and now their enemies are [Page 36] too cruell to them (in the iust re­uenge of God) because they were too merciful: That God, which in his reuealed will had commanded all the Canaanites to the slaughter, yet secretly giues ouer Israel to a toleration of some Canaanites, for their own punishment. Hee hath bidden vs cleanse our hearts of all our corruptions: yet hee will per­mit some of these thornes still in our sides, for exercise, for humili­ation. If wee could lay violent hands vpon our sinnes, our soules should haue peace; now our in­dulgence costs vs many stripes, & many teares: what a continued circle is heere of sins, iudgements; repentance, deliuerances? The conuersation with Idolaters, taints them with sinne; their sin drawes [Page 37] on iudgements; the smart of the iudgement moues them to repen­tance; vpon their repentance fol­lowes speedy deliuerance, vpon their peace and deliuerance they sinne againe.

Othniel, Calebs nephew, had res­cued them from Idolatry and ser­uitude: his life, and their innocence and peace ended together. How powerfull the presence of one good man is in a Church or State, is best found in his losse.

A man that is at once eminent in place & goodnes, is like a stake in a hedge; pull that vp, and all the rest are but loose and rotten sticks, easily remoued: or like the piller of a vaulted roofe, which [Page 38] either supports, or ruines the buil­ding. Who would not think Ido­latry an absurd and vnnaturall sin? which as it hath the fewest induce­ments, so had also the most di­rect inhibitions from God; and yet after all these warnings, Israel falls into it againe: Neither afflic­tion nor repentance can secure an Israelite from redoubling the worst sinne, if he be left to his own frailtie. It is no censuring of the truth of our present sorow, by the euent of a following miscariage; The former cryes of Israel to God were vnfained, yet their present wickedness is abhominable: Let him that thinks he stands, take heed least hee fall.

[Page 39] No sooner had hee said (Israel had rest) but he addes, They com­mitted wickednesse: The securitie of any people is the cause of their corruption; standing waters soone grow noysom. Whiles they were exercised with warre, how scru­pulous were they of the least inti­mation of Idolatry? the newes of a bare Altar beyond Iordan, drew them together for a rèuenge; now they are at peace with their ene­mies, they are at variance vvith God: It is both hard & happy not to be the worse with liberty; The sedentary life is most subiect to diseases.

Rather then Israel shall want a scourge for their sinne, God him selfe shall raise them vp an enemy: [Page 40] Moab had no quarrell but his own ambition, but God meant by the ambition of the one part, to pu­nish the Idolatry of the other; his iustice can make one sin the exe­cutioner of another, whiles nei­ther shall looke for any other mea­sure from him, but iudgement: The euill of the Citie is so his, that the instrument is not guiltless. Be­fore, God had stirred vp the King of Syria against Israel; now, the King of Moab; afterwards, the King of Canaan: Hee hath more varietie of iudgements, then there can be offences; if we haue once made him our aduersary, he shall bee sure to make vs aduersaries enovv; vvhich shall reuenge his quarrell, vvhiles they prosecute their owne.

[Page 41] Euen those were Idolaters by whose hands God plagued the I­dolatries of Israel. In Moab, the same wickednes prospers, which in Gods owne people is punished: the iustice of the Almightie can least brooke euill in his owne; the same heathen which prouoked Is­rael to sinne, shall scourge them for sinning. Our very profession hurts vs, if we be not innocent.

No lesse then eighteene yeares did the rod of Moab rest vpon the inheritance of God: Israel seemes as borne to seruitude; they came from their bondage in the Land of Egypt, to serue in the Land of Promise; They had neglected God, now they are neglected of GOD; Their sinnes haue made [Page 42] them seruants, whom the choice of GOD had made free, yea his first borne. Woorthy are they to serue those men, whose false Gods they had serued, & to serue them alwaies in thraldome, whom they haue once serued in Idolatry. We may not measure the continuance of punishment, by the time of the commission of sinne; one minutes sin deserues a torment beyond all time.

Doubtlesse, Israel was not so in­sensible of their own misery, as not to complain sooner then the end of eighteene yeeres; The first houre they sighed for themselues, but now they cried vnto GOD. The very purpose of affliction is to make vs importunate; Hee that [Page 43] heares the secret murmurs of our griefe, yet will not seeme to heare vs, till our cryes be loud & strong. GOD sees it best to let the peni­tent dwell for the time vnder their sorrowes; hee sees vs sinking all the while, yet he lets vs alone till wee be at the bottome: and when once we can say, Out of the depths haue I cryed to thee; instantly fol­lowes, The Lord heard me. A ve­hement suter cannot but be heard of God, whatsoeuer hee askes. If our prayers want successe, they want hart; their blessing is accor­ding to their vigour. Wee liue in bondage to these spirituall Moa­bites, our owne corruptions. It dis­contents vs; but where are our strong cries vnto the GOD of heauen? where are our teares? If [Page 44] wee could passionately bemone our selues to him, hovv soone should we be more then conque­rours? Some good motions wee haue to send vp to him, but they faint in the way. We may call long enough, if we cry not to him.

The same hand that raised vp Eglon against Israel, raised vp also Ehud for Israel, against Eglon; When that Tyrant hath reuenged God of his people, God will re­uenge his people of him. It is no priuiledge to be an instrument of Gods vengeance by euil meanes: Though Eglon were an Vsurper, yet had Ehud beene a Traytor if God had not sent him; it is onelie in the power of him that makes Kings, when they are once settled, [Page 45] to depose them. It is no more pos­sible for our moderne butchers of Princes, to show they are imploy­ed by God, then to escape the re­uenge of GOD in offering to doe this violence, not being im­ployed.

VVhat a strange choice dooth God make of an Executioner? A man shut of his right hand; either he had but one hand, or vsed but one, and that the worse, and more vnready: Who would not haue thought both hands too little for such a worke; or, if either might haue been spared, how much ra­ther the left? GOD seeth not as man seeth; It is the ordinary wont of the Almightie, to make choice of the vnlik eliest meanes. The in­struments [Page 46] of God must not bee measured by their own power, or aptitude, but by the will of the A­gent: Tho Ehud had no hands, he that imployed him, had enabled him to this slaughter. In humane things, it is good to looke to the meanes; in diuine, to the worker; No meanes are to be contemned that God will vse; no meanes to be trusted that man will vse with­out him.

It is good to be suspicious where is least show of danger, and most appearance of fauour. This left­handed man comes with a present in his hand, but a dagger vnder his skirt. The Tyrant, besides ser­uice, lookt for gifts; and now re­ceiues death in his bribe: Neither [Page 47] God nor men, doe alwaies giue where they loue. How oft dooth God giue extraordinary illumina­tion, power of miracles, besides wealth and honor, where he hates? So doe men too oft accompanie their curses with presents; either least an enemy should hurt vs, or that wee may hurt them. The in­tention is the fauour in gifts, and not the substance.

Ehuds faith supplies the want of his hand: Where GOD intends success, he lifts vp the hart with re­solutions of courage, & contempt of danger. What indifferent be­holder of this proiect would not haue condemned it, as vnlikely to speed; To see a maimed man goe alone to a great King, in the midst [Page 48] of all his troupes; to single him out from all witnesses; to set vp­on him with one hand in his owne Parlor, where his Courtiers might haue heard the least exclamation, and haue comne in, if not to the rescue, yet to the reuenge. Euery circumstance is full of improbabi­lities: Faith euermore ouerlookes the difficulties of the way, & bends her eyes onely to the certainty of the end. In this intestine slaughter of our tyrannicall corruptions, when we cast our eyes vpon our selues, we might well despaire; A­las, what can our left-hands doe a­gainst these spirituall wickednes­ses? But when wee see who hath both commaunded, and vnderta­ken to prosper these holy de­signes, how can wee misdoubt the [Page 49] success? I can doe all things throgh him that strengthens me.

When Ehud hath obtained the conuenient secrecie both of the weapon & place; now with a con­fident forhead he approaches the Tyrant, and salutes him, vvith a true and awfull preface to so im­portant an act. I haue a message to thee from God. Euen Ehuds poy­nard was Gods message; not one­ly the vocall admonitions, but al­so the reall iudgements of God, are his errands to the world. Hee speakes to vs in raine & waters, in sicknesses & famine, in vnseasona­ble times & inundations: These are the secondary messages of God; if we will not hear the first, we must heare these to our cost.

[Page 50] I cannot but wonder at the de­uout reuerence of this Heathen Prince; Hee sate in his Chaire of State; The vnweildinesse of his fat body was such, that he could not rise with readiness and ease; yet no sooner doth he heare newes of a message from God, but hee rises vp from his Throne, & reuerently attends the tenor therof: Though hee had no Superior to controle him, yet hee cannot abide to bee vnmannerly in the businesse of GOD.

This man was an Idolater, a Ty­rant: yet what outward respects doth he giue to the true God? Ex­ternall ceremonies of pietie, and complements of deuotion, may well be found with falshood in re­ligion. [Page 51] They are a good shadow of truth where it is: but where it is not, they are the very body of hy­pocrisie. Hee that had risen vp in Armes against Gods people, and the true worship of God, now ri­ses vp in reuerence to his Name: GOD would haue liked well to haue had less of his curtesie, more of his obedience.

He lookt to haue heard the mes­sage with his eares, and he feeles it in his guttes; So sharp a message, that it pierced the body, & let out the soule through that vncleane passage: neither did it admit of a­ny aunswer, but silence and death. In that part had hee offended by pampering it, and making it his God; and now his bane findes the [Page 52] same way with his sinne. This one hard and cold morsell, which hee cannot digest, payes for all those gluttonous delicates, whereof he had formerly surfeted. It is the manner of God, to take fearefull reuenges of the professed enemies of his Church.

It is a maruell, that neither any noise in his dying, nor the fall of so gross a body, called-in some of his attendants: But that GOD, which hath intended to bring a­bout any designe, disposes of all circumstances to his owne pur­pose. If Ehud had not come forth with a calme and settled counte­naunce, and shut the doores after him, all his proiect had been in the dust. What had it been better that [Page 53] the King of Moab was slaine, if Israel had neither had a messenger to informe, nor a Captain to guide them? Now hee departs peacea­bly, & blowes a trumpet in Mount Ephraim, gathers Israel, and falls vpon the body of Moab, as well as hee had done vpon the head, and procures freedome to his people. Hee that would vndertake great enterprises, had need of wisdome, and courage; wisedome to con­triue, and courage to execute; wisedome to guide his courage, & courage to second his wisedome: both which, if they meet with a good cause, cannot but succeed.

Iael and Sisera.

IT is no wonder if they vvho ere foure-score dayes after the Law deliuered, fell to Ido­latry alone, now after foure-score yeeres since the Law restored, fell to Idolatry among the Canaanites: Peace could in a shorter time work [...]ooseness in any people: and if for­ [...]ie yeeres after Othniels deliue­ [...]ance, they relapsed, what mar­vell is it that in twise fortie after E­ [...]ud, they thus miscaried? VVhat [...]re they the better to haue killed Eglon the King of Moab, if the I­dolatry [Page 56] of Moab haue killed them? The sinne of Moab shal be found a worse Tyrant then their Eglon. Is­rael is for euery market; they sold themselues to Idolatry, God sells them to the Canaanites; it is no maruell they are slaues, if they wil be Idolaters: After their longest intermission, they haue now the sorest bondage. None of their Ty­rants were so potent as Iabin with his 900. chariots of Iron. The lon­ger the reckoning is deferred, the greater is the summe: God pro­uides on purpose mighty Aduersa­ries for his Church, that their hu­miliation may bee the greater in sustaining, and his glory may be greater in deliuerance.

[Page 57] I doe not finde any Prophet in Israel during their sin; but so soone as I heare newes of their repen­tance, mention is made of a Pro­phetesse, & Iudge of Israel. There is no better signe of Gods recon­ciliation, then the sending of his holy messengers to any people; He is not vtterly fallen out vvith those whom hee blesses with pro­phecie. Whom yet doe I see ray­sed to this honour? Not any of the Princes of Israel; not Barac the Captaine; not Lapidoth the hus­band; but a woman, for the honor of her sex; a wife, for the honor of wedlock: Deborah, the wife of La­pidoth.

Hee that had choice of all the millions of Israel, culls out two [Page 58] weake women, to deliuer his peo­ple; Deborah shall iudge, Iael shall execute. All the Palaces of Israel, must yeeld to the Palme-tree of Deborah; The weakenesse of the instruments, redounds to the grea­ter honour of the workman. Who shall aske God any reason of his elections, but his owne pleasure? Deborah was to sentence, not to strike; to commaund, not to exe­cute: This act is masculine, fit for some Captaine of Israel; She was the Head of Israel, it was meet som other should be the hand: it is an imperfect and titular gouernment vvhere there is a commaunding power, without correction, with­out execution. The message of Deborah findes out Barac the son of Abinoam, in his obscure secre­cie, [Page 59] and calls him from a corner of Nepthali, to the honour of this ex­ploit. Hee is sent for, not to gette the victory, but to take it; not to ouercome, but to kill; to pursue, & not to beat Sisera. Who could not haue done this work, whereto not much courage, no skill be­longed? Yet euen for this wil God haue an instrument of his ovvne choice: It is most fit that GOD shold serue himselfe where he list, of his owne; neither is it to be in­quired, whom we thinke meet for any imployment, but whom God hath called.

Deborah had beene no Prophe­tesse, if shee durst haue sent in her owne name; Her message is from him that sent herselfe, Hath not the [Page 60] Lord God of Israel commaunded? Baracs answer is faithfull, tho con­ditionate; and doth not so much intend a refusall to goe without her, as a necessary bond of her presence vvith him. VVho can blame him that hee would haue a Prophetesse in his cōpany? If the man had not been as holy as vali­ant, he wold not haue wished such societie. How many thinke it a perpetual bondage to haue a pro­phet of God at their elbow? God had neuer sent for him so farre, if he could haue bin content to goe vp without Deborah; Hee knew that there was both a blessing, and incouragement in that presence. It is no putting any trust in the suc­cess of those men, that neglect the messengers of God.

[Page 61] To prescribe that to others, which we draw back from dooing our selues, is an argument of hol­lowness and falsity: Barac shall see that Deborah doth not offer him that cup, whereof she dare not be­ginne; without regard of her sexe shee marches with him to Mount Tabor, and reioyces to be seen of the tenne thousand of Israel. With what scorne did Sisera looke at these gleanings of Israel? How vn­equall did this match seeme of ten thousand Israelites against his three hundred thousand foot, ten thousand horse, nine hundred cha­riots of Iron? And now in a bra­uery, he calls for his troupes, and meanes to kill this handfull of Is­rael with the very sight of his pi­ked chariots; and onely feared it [Page 62] would be no victory to cutte the throates of so few. The faith of Deborah and Barac was not ap­palled with this world of Aduer­saries, which from Mount Tabor they saw hiding all the Vally be­lowe them; they knew whom they had belieued, and how little an arme of flesh could do against the God of Hosts.

Barac went down against Sisera, but it was GOD that destroyed him. The Israelites did not this day wield their owne swords, least they should arrogate any thing; God told them before hand, it should be his own act. I heare not of one stroke that any Canaa­nite gaue in this fight; as if they were called hither, onely to suffer. [Page 63] And now proud Sisera, after ma­ny curses of the heauinesse of that Iron carriage, is gladde to quit his Chariot, and betake himselfe to his heeles. Who euer yet knew a­ny earthly thing trusted in, with­out disappointment? It is wonder if God make vs not at last as wea­ry of whatsoeuer hath stolne our harts from him, as euer wee were fond.

Yet Sisera hopes to haue sped better then his followers, in so sea­sonable an harbour of Iael. If He­ber and Iael had not been great persons, there had beene no note taken of their Tents; There had been no league betwixt King Ia­bin and them: now their greatnes makes them known, their league [Page 64] makes them trusted. The distresse of Sisera might haue made him importunate, but Iael begins the curtesie, and exceeds the desire of her guest: Hee askes vvater to drinke, shee giues him milke; hee wishes but shelter, shee makes him a bed; hee desires the protection of her Tent, she couers him with a mantle. And now Sisera pleases himselfe with this happy change, and thinks how much better it is to be here, then in that whirling of chariots, in that horror of flight, amongst those shriekes, those woundes, those carcasses. Whiles hee is in these thoughts: his weari­ness & easie reposall hath brought him asleepe. VVho would haue looked that in this tumult and dan­ger, euen betwixt the very iawes [Page 65] of death, Sisera should finde time to sleepe? How many vvorldlie harts doe so in the midst of their spirituall perils?

Now whiles hee was dreaming, doubtlesse, of the clashing of ar­mors, ratling of chariots, neighing of horses, the clamor of the con­quered, the furious pursute of Is­rael; Iael seeing his temples lie so faire, as if they inuited the naile & hammer, entred into the thought of this noble execution; certainly not without som checks of doubt, and pleas of feare: What if I strike him? And yet who am I, that I should dare to thinke of such an act? Is not this Sisera, the famou­sest captaine of the world, whose name hath wont to be fearefull to [Page 66] whole Nations? What if my hand should swarue in the stroke? What if hee should awake, whiles I am lifting vp this instrument of death▪ What if I should be surprised by some of his followers while the fact is greene, and yet bleeding? Can the murder of so great a Lea­der be hid, or vnreuenged? Or if I might hope so, yet can my heart allow mee to be secretly treche­rous? Is there not peace betwixt my house, and him? Did not I in­uite him to my Tent? Doth he not trust to my friendship & hospitali­tie? But what doe these vveake feares, these idle fancies of ciuili­tie? If Sisera be in league with vs, yet is he not at defiance with God? Is hee not a Tyrant to Israel? Is it for nothing that GOD hath [Page 67] brought him into my Tent? May I not now finde meanes to repay vnto Israel all their kindnesse to my Grand-father Iethro? Dooth not GOD offer mee this day, the honour to bee the Rescuer of his people? Hath God bidden mee strike, and shall I hold my hand? No Sisera, sleepe now thy last, and take here this fatall reward of all thy cruelty and oppression.

He that put this instinct into her hart, did put also strength into her hand; He that guided Sisera to her Tent, guided the naile throgh his temples; which hath made a spee­die way for his soule throgh those parts, and now hath fastened his eare so close to the earth, as if the body had been listening what was [Page 68] becomne of the soule. There lyes now the great terror of Israel at the foote of a woman: Hee that brought so many hundred thou­sands into the Field, hath not now one Page left, either to auert his death, or to accompany it, or be­waile it: Hee that had vaunted of his Iron chariots, is slaine by one naile of Iron, wanting onely this one point of his infelicity, that hee knowes not by whose hand he pe­rished.

Gideons Calling.

THe iudgements of God still the further they go, the sorer they are; the bondage of Israel vn­der Iabin was great, but it was freedome in comparison of the yoke of the Midianites. During the former tyrannie, Deborah was permitted to Iudge Israel vnder a Palme-tree; Vnder this, not so much as priuate habitations will be allowed to Israel: Then, the seat of iudgement was in the sight of the Sun, now their very dwel­lings must be secret, vnder the [Page 70] earth. They that reiected the pro­tection of God, are glad to seeke to the Mountaines for shelter; & as they had sauagely abused them­selues, so they are faine to creepe into dennes & caues of the rocks, like wilde creatures for safegard: God had sowen spirituall seed a­mongst them, and they suffered their heathenish neighbors to pull it vp by the rootes; and now, no sooner can they sowe their materi­all seed, but Midianites and Ama­lekites are ready by force to de­stroy it. As they inwardly dealt with God; so GOD deales out­wardly by them; Their eyes may tell them what their soules haue done: yet that God whose mercie is aboue the worst of our sinnes sends first his Prophet with a mes­sage [Page 71] of reproofe, and then his An­gell with a message of deliuerance. The Israelites had smarted e­nough with their seruitude, yet God sends them a sharp rebuke. It is a good signe when God chides vs, his round reprehensions are e­uer gracious forerunners of mer­cie: wheras his silent conniuence at the wicked, argues deepe and secret displeasure: The Prophet made way for the Angell, reproofe for deliuerance, humiliation for comfort.

Gideon was threshing Wheat by the Wine-presse. Yet Israel hath both Wheat and Wine, for all the incursions of their enemies. The worst estate out of hell, hath either some comfort, or at least, some mi­tigation; [Page 72] in spight of all the ma­lice of the world, God makes se­cret prouision for his owne. How should it be but he that ownes the earth, and all creatures, should re­serue euer a sufficiencie from for­rainers (such the wicked are) for his houshold? In the worst of the Midianitish tyranny, Gideons field and barne are priuiledged, as his fleece was afterwards from the shower.

Why did Gideon thresh out his corne? To hide it; Not from his neighbours, but his enemies: his Granary might easily bee more close, then his barne. As then, Is­raelites threshed out their corne, to hide it from the Midianites: but now, Midianites thresh out corne, [Page 73] to hide it from the Israelites. These rurall Tyrants of our time, do not more lay vp corne, then curses; he that withdraweth corne, the peo­ple will curse him; yea, God will curse him, with them, & for them.

What shifts nature will make to liue? Oh that we could be so care­full to lay vp spirituall foode for our soules, out of the reach of those spirituall Midianites, vvee could not but liue, in despight of all Aduersaries.

The Angels that haue euer God in their face, & in their thoughts, haue him also in their mouthes, The Lord is with thee. But this which appeared vnto Gideon, was the Angel of the Couenaunt, the [Page 74] Lord of Angels. Whiles hee was with Gideon, he might well say, The Lord is with thee. He that sent the Comforter, vvas also the true Comforter of his Church; he wel knew, how to lay a sure ground of Consolation, and that the onelie remedy of sorrow, and beginning of true ioy, is The presence of GOD. The griefe of the Apostles for the expected losse of their Master, could neuer be cured by any re­ceit but this, of the same Angel, Behold, I am with you to the end of the world. What is our glory but the fruition of Gods presence? The punishment of the damned, is a separation from the beatifical face of God; needs must therfore his absence in this life, be a great torment to a good heart: and no [Page 75] crosse can bee equiualent to this beginning of heauen in the Elect, The Lord is with thee.

Who can complaine either of solitariness, or opposition, that hath GOD with him? With him, not only as a witness, but as a par­tie: Euen wicked men and diuells cannot exclude God, not the bars of hell can shutte him out; Hee is with them perforce, but to iudge, to punish them: Yea, God will be euer with them to their cost; but to protect, comfort, saue, hee is with none but his.

Whiles he calls Gideon valiant, he makes him so. How could hee be but valiant, that had God with him? The godless man may bee [Page 76] carelesse, but cannot be other then cowardly. It pleases God to ac­knowledge his owne graces in men, that he may interchange his owne glory, with their comfort; how much more should wee con­fesse the graces of one another? An enuious nature is preiudiciall to God; Hee is a strange man in whom there is not some visible good; yea, in the Diuels them­selues wee may easily note some commendable parts, of know­ledge, strength, agilitie: Let God haue his owne in the worst crea­ture; yea, let the worst creature haue that praise, which God wold put vpon it.

Gideon cannot passe ouer this sa­lutation, as som fashionable com­plement, [Page 77] but layes hold on that part, which was most important; the tenure of all his comfort; and (as not regarding the praise of his valour) inquires after that vvhich should be the ground of his va­lour, the presence of God: God had spoken particularly to him; He expostulates for all. It had bin possible GOD should be present with him, not with the rest; as hee promised to haue been with Mo­ses, Israel: and yet when God saies, The Lord is with thee, he answers, Alas Lord, if the Lord bee with vs. Gideon cannot conceiue of him­selfe as an exempt person; but puts himselfe among the throng of Is­rael, as one that could not be sen­sible of any particular comfort, while the common case of Israel [Page 78] laboured. The maine care of a good hart is still for the publique, neither can it inioy it selfe, while the Church of God is distressed. As faith drawes home generali­ties, so charitie diffuses generali­ties from it selfe to all.

Yet the valiant man was heere weake; weake in faith, weake in discourse; whiles he argues Gods absence by affliction, his presence by deliuerances, and the vnlikeli­hood of success by his own disabi­litie; all gross inconsequences: Rather should hee haue inferred Gods presence vpon their correc­tion; for wheresoeuer God chasti­ses, there he is, yea, there hee is in mercy. Nothing more proues vs his, then his stripes; hee will not [Page 79] bestow whipping where he loues not. Fond nature thinks GOD should not suffer the wind to blow vpon his deare ones, because her selfe makes this vse of her own in­dulgence; but none out of the place of torment, haue suffered so much as his dearest children. Hee sayes not we are Idolaters; there­fore the Lord hath forsaken vs, because wee haue forsaken him: This sequell had been as good, as the other was faultie; (The Lord hath deliuered vs vnto the Midia­nites, therefore hee hath forsaken vs:) Sinnes, not afflctions, argue God absent.

Whiles Gideon bewrayeth weak­nes, God both giues him might and imployes it; (Goe in this thy [Page 80] might, and saue Jsrael.) Who wold not haue looked that God should haue looked angerly on him, and chid him for his vnbeliefe? But he whose mercy will not quench the weakest fire of grace, though it be but in flax, lookes vpon him with compassionate eyes; and to make good his owne word, giues him that valour hee had acknowled­ged.

Gideon had not yet said, Lord deliuer Jsrael: much lesse had hee said, Lord deliuer Israel by my hand. The mercy of God preuents the desire of Gideon: if God shold not begin with vs, we should be e­uer miserable; if hee should not giue vs till we aske, yet who shold giue vs to aske; if his spirit did not [Page 81] worke those holy grones, & sighes in vs, wee should neuer make sute to God. He that commonly giues vs power to craue, sometimes giues vs without crauing, that the benefit might be so much more welcome, by how much less it was expected; and we so much more thankfull, as hee is more forward. When he bids vs aske, it is not for that he needes to be intreated; but that hee may make vs more capa­ble of blessings, by desiring them: And where hee sees feruent de­sires, he stayes not for words; and he that giues ere wee aske, how much more will hee giue when we aske.

Hee that hath might enough to deliuer Israel, yet hath not might [Page 82] enough to keepe himselfe from doubting. The strongest faith will euer haue some touch of infideli­tie. And yet this was not so much a distrust of the possibility of de­liuering Israel, as an inquiry after the meanes; Whereby shall I saue Israel? The salutation of the An­gel to Gideon, was as like to Gabri­els salutation of the blessed Vir­gin, as their answeres were like: Both Angels brought newes of deliuerance; both were answered with a question of the meanes of performance; with a report of the difficulties in performing: Ah my Lord, whereby shall I saue Israel? How the good man disparages himselfe! It is a great matter (O Lord) that thou speakest of, and great actions require mightie A­gents: [Page 83] As for me, who am I? My Tribe is none of the greatest in Is­rael; My Fathers family, is one of the meanest in his Tribe, and I the meanest in his family; Pouerty is a sufficient bar to great enterprises.

Whereby shall I? Humilitie is both a signe of following glory, & a way to it, and an occasion of it: Bragging and height of spirit, will not carry it, with GOD: None haue euer been raised by him, but those which haue formerly deiec­ted themselues; None haue been confounded by him, that haue been abased in themselues. There­vpon it is that he adds, I will ther­fore be with thee; as if hee had an­swered, Hadst thou not beene so poore in thy selfe, I wold not haue [Page 84] wrought by thee. How shold God be magnified in his mercies if wee were not vnworthy? How should he be strong, if not in our weake­nesse?

All this while, Gideon knew not it was an Angel that spake vvith him; Hee saw a man stand before him like a Trauailer, with a staffe in his hand. The vnusualness of those reuelations in those corrup­ted times was such, that Gideon might thinke of any thing rather then an Angell: No maruell if so strange a promise from an vn­knowne messenger, found not a perfect assent; Faine would he be­lieue, but faine would hee haue good warrant for his faith. In mat­ters of faith we cannot goe vpon [Page 85] too sure grounds. As Moses there­fore being sent vpon the same er­rand, desired a signe, whereby Is­rael might knowe that God sent him: So Gideon desires a signe from this Bearer▪ to know that his newes is from God.

Yet the very hope of so happy newes, not yet ratified, stirres vp in Gideon both ioy and thankful­ness. After all the iniury of the Mi­dianites, he was not so poore, but he could bestowe a Kid, and cakes, vpon the Reporter of such tidings. Those which are rightly affected with the glad newes of our spiri­tuall deliuerance, study to show their louing respects to the mes­sengers.

[Page 86] The Angel stayes for the pre­paring of Gideons feast. Such plea­sure dooth GOD take in the thankfull indeauours of his ser­uants, that he patiently waites vp­on the leysure of our performan­ces. Gideon intended a dinner, the Angel turned it into a sacrifice. He whose meat and drinke it was to doe his Fathers will, calls for the broth and flesh to be poured out vpon the stone; And when Gide­on lookt hee should haue blessed, and eaten, hee touches the feast with his staffe, and consumes it with fire from the stone, and de­parted. He did not strike the stone with his staffe (For the attrition of two hard bodies would natural­ly beget fire) but hee touched the meat, and brought fire from the [Page 87] stone: And now whiles Gideon saw and wondred at the spirituall act, he lost the sight of the Agent.

Hee that came vvithout intrea­ting, vvould not haue departed without taking leaue, but that hee might increase Gideons vvonder, and that his wonder might in­crease his faith. His salutation therefore was not so strange as his farewell. Moses touched the rock with his staffe, and brought forth vvater, and yet a man, and yet continued vvith the Israelites. This messenger touches the stone vvith his staffe, and brings foorth fire, & presently vanishes, that he may approue himselfe a spirit. And now Gideon, when he had gathered vp himselfe, must needes thinke, [Page 88] Hee that can raise fire out of a stone, can raise courage and pow­er out of my dead breast; He that by this fire hath consumed the broth and flesh, can by the feeble flame of my fortitude consume Midian.

Gideon did not so much doubt before, as now he feared. We that shall once liue with, and bee like the Angels, in the estate of our im­potencie thinke we cannot see an Angel, and liue. Gideon was ac­knowledged for mighty in valour, yet he trembles at the sight of an Angel. Peter, that durst draw his sword vpon Malchus, and all the traine of Iudas, yet feares when he thought he had seene a spirit. Our naturall courage cannot be are vs [Page 89] out against spirituall obiects. This Angel was homely & familiar, ta­king vpon him for the time, a re­semblance of that flesh wherof he would afterwards take the sub­stance; yet euen the valiant Gide­on quakes to haue seen him: How awfull and glorious is the God of Angels, when he will be seen in the state of heauen!

The Angel that departed for the wonder, yet returnes for the comfort of Gideon; It is not the wont of God to leaue his children in a maze, but hee brings them out in the same mercy which led them in, and will magnifie his grace in the one, no lesse then his power in the other.

[Page 90] Now Gideon growes acquainted with God, and interchanges pled­ges of familiarity; He buildes an Altar to God, and God conferres with him; and (as he vses where he loues) imployes him. His first task must be to destroy the god of the Midianites, then the Idolaters thē ­selues. Whiles Baals Altar & groue stood in the hill of Ophrah, Israel should in vaine hope to preuaile: It is most iust with God that iudg­ment should continue with the sin, and no less mercy, if it may re­moue after it. Woldst thou fain be rid of any iudgment? Inquire what false Altars & groues thou hast in thy heart; down with them first.

First must Baals Altar be ruined ere Gods be built, both may not [Page 91] stand together; The true GOD will haue no societie with Idols, neither will allow it vs. I doe not heare him say, That Altar & groue which were abused to Baal, conse­crate now to me; but as one whose holy ielousie wil abide no worship till there be no idolatry, hee first commands down the monuments of superstition, and then inioynes his owne seruice; yet the wood of Baals groue must be vsed to burne a sacrifice vnto God: When it was once cut down, Gods detestation, & their danger ceased. The good creatures of God that haue beene profaned to Idolatry, may in a change of their vse, bee imploy­ed to the holie seruice of their Maker.

[Page 92] Though some Israelites vvere penitent vnder this humiliation, yet still many of them persisted in their wonted Idolatry. The very houshold of Gideons father were still Baalites, and his neigh­bours of Ophrah were in the same sin: yea if his father had been free, what did he with Baals groue and Altar? He dares not therfore take his fathers seruants, thogh he tooke his bullocks, but commaunds his owne. The Master is best seene in the seruants: Gideons seruants (a­mongst the Idolatrous retinue of Ioash) are religious, like their Ma­ster; yet the mis-deuotion of Ioash, and the Ophrathites was not obsti­nate. Ioash is easily perswaded by his sonne, and easily perswades his neighbours, how vnreasonable it [Page 93] is to plead for such a god, as can­not speak for himselfe; to reuenge his cause, that could not defend himselfe. Let Baal plead for him­selfe. One example of a resolute onset in a noted person, may doe more good then a thousand se­conds in the proceeding of an ac­tion.

Soone are all the Midianites in an vprore to lose their god; They need not now be bidden to muster themselues for reuenge: hee hath no religion that can suffer an in­dignitie offered to his God.

Gideons Preparation and Victorie.

OF all the instruments that GOD vsed in so great a worke, I finde none so weake as Gide­on; who yet (of all others) was sti­led valiant: naturall valour may well stand with spirituall cowar­dise. Before he knew that he spake with a God, he might haue iust co­lours for his distrust; but after God had approoued his presence, and almighty power, by fetching fire out of the stone, then to call for a watery signe of his promised [Page 96] deliuerance, was no other then to poure water vpon the fire of the spirit. The former triall God gaue vnwished; this, vpon Gideons choice and intreatie: The former miracle was strong enough to ca­ry Gideon through his first exploit of ruinating the idolatrous groue, and Altar; but now, when he saw the swarme of the Midianites and Amalekites about his eares, he calls for new ayde; and not trusting to his Abiezrites, and his other thou­sands of Israel, hee runnes to God for a further assurance of victorie.

The refuge was good, but the manner of seeking it, sauours of distrust. There is nothing more easie then to be valiant, when no perill appeareth; but when euills [Page 97] assaile vs vpon vnequall tearms, it is hard, and commendable Not to be dismaied. If GOD had made that proclamation now, which af­terwards was commaunded to be made by Gideon, Let the timorous depart, I doubt whether Israel had not wanted a Guide: yet how wil­ling is the Almighty to satisfie our weak desires!

What tasks is he content to bee set by our infirmitie? The fleece must be wet, and the ground dry; the ground must be wet, and the fleece dry: Both are done; that now Gideon may see whether hee would make himselfe hard earth, or yeelding vvoll. God could at pleasure distinguish betwixt him, and the Midianites, & poure down [Page 98] either mercies or iudgement where he lists, and that hee was set on worke by that God, which can commaund all the Elements, and they obey him; Fire, Water, Earth, serue both him, and (when he will) his.

And now when Gideon had this reciprocall proofe of his insuing successe, he goes on (as hee vvell may) harnessed with resolution, and is seene in the Head of his troupes, and in the face of the Mi­dianites. If we cannot make vp the match with God, when wee haue our owne asking, wee are worthie to sit out.

Gideon had but thirty thousand souldiers at his his heeles; the Mi­dianites [Page 99] couered all the vally, like Grashoppers: and now whiles the Israelites thinke, We are too few; God sayes, The people are too many. If the Israelites must haue looked for victory from their fingers, they might well haue said, The Midia­nites are too many for vs; but that God, whose thoughts and words are vnlike to mens, sayes, They are too many for mee to giue the Midia­nites into their hands. If humane strength were to be opposed, there should haue needed an equalitie; but now God meant to giue the victory, his care is not how to get it, but how not to lose or blemish the glory of it gotten. How ielous God is of his honour! Hee is wil­ling to giue deliuerance to Israel, but the praise of the deliuerance [Page 100] he will keepe to himselfe; and will shorten the meanes, that hee may haue the full measure of the glory. And if hee will not allow lawfull meanes to stand in the light of his honour, how will hee indure it to be crossed so much as indirectly? It is less danger to steale any thing from God, then his glory.

As a Prince, which if wee steale or clip his coyne, may pardon it; but if we goe about to rob him of his crowne, will not be appeased. There is nothing that we can giue to God, of whom wee receiue all things; that which he is content to part with, he giues vs; but he will not abide wee should take ought from him, which he would reserue for himselfe. It is all one with him [Page 101] to saue with many, and with fewe, but hee rather choses to saue by fewe, that all the victory may re­dound to himselfe. O God, what art thou the better for our praises, to whom because thou art infinite nothing can be added? It is for our good that thou wouldst be mag­nified of vs; Oh teach vs to re­ceiue the benefit of thy mercifull fauours, and to returne thee the thanks.

Gideons Army must be lessened; Who are so fitte to be cashered as the fearefull? God bids him there­fore proclaime licence for all faint harts to leaue the field. An ill in­strument may shame a good work: God will not glorifie himselfe by cowards. As the timorous shall be [Page 102] without the gates of heauen; so shall they be without the lists of of Gods field. Although it vvas not their courage that should saue Israel, yet without their courage God would not serue himselfe of them. Christianity requires men; for if our spiritual difficulties meet not with high spirits, in steed of whetting our fortitude, they quaile it. Dauids royall Band of Woor­thies, was the type of the forces of the Church; all valiant men, and able to incounter with thousands.

Neither must we be strong one­ly, but acquainted with our owne resolutions; not out of any carnal presumption, but out of a faithfull reliance vpō the strength of God; in whom, when we are weak, then [Page 103] we are strong. Oh thou white li­uer! doth but a foule word, or a frowne scarre thee from Christ? Dooth the losse of a little land, or siluer disquiet the? Doth but the sight of the Midianites in the vally strike thee? Home then, home to the world; thou art not then for the conquering Band of Christ: If thou canst not resolue to follow him throgh infamie, prisons, racks, [...]ibbets, flames; Depart to thine house, & saue thy life to thy losse.

Mee thinks now, Israel should haue complained of indignity, & haue said, VVhy shouldst thou thinke, O Gideon, that there can be a cowardly Israelite? And if the experience of the power and mercy of God, be not enough to [Page 104] make vs feare less, yet the sense of seruitude must needes haue made vs resolute; for who had not ra­ther to be buried dead, thē quick? Are we not faine to hide our heads in the caues of the earth, and to make our graues our houses? Not so much as the very light that wee can freely inioy; the tyrannie of death is but short and easie, to this of Midian: and yet what danger can there be of that, fith thou hast so certainly assured vs of Gods promise of victory, and his mira­culous confirmation? No, Gideon, those harts that haue brought vs hither after thy Colours, can as well keepe vs from retyring.

But now, vvho can but blesse himselfe, to finde of two & thirtie [Page 105] thousand Israelites, two & twenty thousand cowards? Yet all these in Gideons march made as faire a flourish of courage as the boldest. VVho can trust the faces of men, that sees in the Army of Israel, a­boue two for one timorous? How many make a glorious show in the warfaring Church, vvhich when they shall see danger of persecuti­on, shall shrinke from the standard of God? Hope of safety, examples of neighbours, desire of prayse, fear of censures, coaction of lawes, fellowship of friends, draw many into the field; which so soone as euer they see the Aduersary, re­pent of their conditions: and if they may cleanly escape, will be gone early from Mount Gilead. Can any man be offended at the [Page 106] number of these shrinkers, when he sees but tenne thousand Israe­lites left of two and twenty thou­sand in one morning.

These men that would haue bin ashamed to go away by day, now drop away by night; And if Gide­on should haue called any one of them backe, and said, Wilt thou flee? would haue made an excuse. The darkness is a fit vaile for their palenesse, or blushing; fearfulness cannot abide the light: None of these thousands of Israel but wold haue bin loath Gideon should haue seen his face whiles hee said, I am fearefull; very shame holds some in their station, whose hearts are already fled. And if we cannot in­dure that men should be witnesses [Page 107] of that fear which we might liue to correct, how shall wee abide once to show our fearefull heads, be­fore that terrible Iudge, when hee calls vs foorth to the punishment of our feare? Oh the vanitie of foolish hypocrites, that run vpon the terrors of GOD, whiles they would auoyde the shame of men?

How doe wee thinke the small remainder of Israel looked, when in the next morning-muster they found themselues but tenne thou­sand left? How did they accuse their timorous Countrymen, that had left but this handfull to en­counter the millions of Midian? And yet still, God complaines of too many; and vpon his triall, dis­misses nine thousand seauen hun­dred [Page 108] more. His first triall was of the valour of their minds: his next is of the ability of their bodies; Those which besides boldnes are not strong, patient of labour and thirst, willing to stoope, content with a little (such were those that took vp water with their hand) are not for the select Band of GOD. The Lord of Hosts will serue him­selfe of none but able Champions; If he haue therefore singled vs in­to his combat, this very choice ar­gues, that hee findes that strength in vs, which we cannot confesse in our selues. How can it but com­fort vs in our great trialls, that if the searcher of hearts did not find vs fit, hee would neuer honour vs with so hard an imployment?

[Page 109] Now, when there is not scarce left one Israelite to euery thou­sand of the Midianites, it is seaso­nable with God to ioyne battell. When God hath stripped vs of all our earthly confidence, then doth hee finde time to giue vs victory; and not till then, least he should be a loser in our gaine: Like as at last he vnclothes vs of our body, that he may clothe vs vpon with glory.

If Gideon feared when he had two and thirty thousand Israelites at his heeles, is it any wonder if hee fea­red, when all these were shrunke into three hundred? Though his confirmation were more, yet his meanes were abated. Why vvas not Gideon rather the Leader of those two and twenty thousand [Page 110] runne-awaies, then of these three hundred souldiers? Oh infinite mercie, and forbearance of God, that takes not vantage of so strong an infirmitie, but in stead of ca­sting, incourages him. That wise Prouidēce hath prepared a dream in the head of one Midianite, an interpretation in the mouth of an­other, and hath brought Gideon to bee an auditor of both; and hath made his enemies Prophets of his victory, incouragers of the at­tempt, proclaimers of their owne confusion. A Midianite dreames, a Midianite interprets. Our verie dreames many times are not with­out God; there is a prouidence in our sleeping fancies: euen the e­mies of God may haue visions, & power to construe them aright; [Page 111] How vsually are wicked men for­warned of their owne destruction? To foreknow & not auoyd, is but an aggrauation of iudgement.

When Gideon heard good newes (tho from an enemy) he fel down and worshipped. To heare, him­selfe but a Barly-cake, troubled him not, when hee heard withall, that his roling down the hill shold breake the Tents of Midian; It matters not how base wee bee thought, so we may be victorious. The soule that hath receiued full confirmation from God, in the as­surance of his saluation, cannot but bow the knee, and by all ge­stures of bodie, tell how it is ra­uished.

[Page 112] I vvould haue thought Gideon should rather haue found full con­firmation in the promise, and act of GOD, then in the dreame of the Midianite. Dreames may be full of vncertainty; Gods vnder­takings are infallible: well there­fore might the miracle of GOD giue strength to the dreame of a Midianite; but what strength could a Pagans dreame giue to the mi­raculous act of God? yet by this is Gideon throughly settled. When wee are going, a little thing driues vs on; when we are come neere to the shore, the very tide vvithout sailes, is enough to put vs into the harbour. We shall now heare no more of Gideons doubts, but of his atchieuements: And though God had promised by these three hun­dred [Page 113] to chase the Midianites, yet he neglects not wise stratagems to effect it. To wait for Gods per­formance in doing nothing, is to abuse that diuine Prouidence, which will so worke, that it vvill not allow vs idle.

Now, when wee would looke that Gideon should giue charge of whetting their swords, & sharpe­ning their speares, and fitting their Armour, he onely giues order for empty pitchers, and lights, and trumpets. The cracking of these pitchers shall breake in peeces this Midianitish clay: the kindling of these lights, shall extinguish the light of Midian: these trumpets, sound no other then a soule-peale to all the host of Midian: there shal [Page 114] need nothing but noise & light to confound this innumerable Ar­mie.

And if the pitchers, and brands, and trumpets of Gideon, did so daunt & dismay the proud troopes of Midian, & Amalecke, Who can we think shall be able to stand be­fore the last terror, vvherein the trumpet of the Archangell shall sound, and the heauens shall passe away with a noise, & the elements shal be on a flame about our eares?

Any of the vveakest Israelites would haue serued to haue broken an empty pitcher, to haue carried a light, & to haue sounded a trum­pet, and to strike a flying aduersa­rie. Not to the basest vse will God [Page 115] employ an vnworthy Agent; Hee will not allow so much as a cow­ardly torch-bearer.

Those two and twenty thou­sand Israelites that slipt away for feare, when the feareful Midianites fled, can pursue, and kill them, & can follovv them at the heeles, whom they durst not looke in the face. Our flight giues aduantage to the feeblest aduersary, whereas our resistance foileth the greatest: How much more, if we haue once turned our backs vpon a tentati­on, shall our spirituall enemies (which are euer strong) trample vs in the dust? Resist, and they shal flee: stand still, and we shall see the saluation of the Lord.

The Reuenge of Succoth and Penuell.

GIdeon was of Manasseh: Ephraim and hee vvere brothers, sonnes of Io­seph; None of all the Tribes of Jsrael fall out with their victorious Leader, but he: The a­greement of brothers is rare; by how much nature hath more en­deared them, by so much are their quarrels more frequent and dan­gerous. I did not heare the Ephrai­mites offring themselues into the front of the Army, before the [Page 118] fight, and now they are readie to fight with Gideon, because they were not called to fight with Mi­dian: I heare them expostulating after it; After the exploit done, cowards are valiant. Their quar­rell was that they were not called; It had bin a greater praise of their valour to haue gone vnbidden: What need was there to call them, when God complained of multi­tude, and sent away those which were called? None speake so bigge in the end of the fray, as the feare­fullest.

Ephraim flies vpon Gideon, vvhiles the Midianites flie from him; when Gideon should be pur­suing his enemies, he is pursued by brethren; & now is glad to spend [Page 119] that wind in pacifying of his own, which should haue been bestowed in the slaughter of a common Ad­uersary: It is a wonder if Satan suf­fer vs to be quiet at home, whiles wee are exercised with warres a­broad. Had not Gideon Iearned to speake faire, as well as to smite, he had found work enough from the swords of Iosephs sonnes; his good wordes are as victorious as his sword; his pacification of friends, better then his execution of ene­mies.

For ought I see, the enuy of Is­raelites was more troublesome to Gideon, then the opposition of Mi­dian; He hath left the enuy of E­phraim behind him: before him, he findes the enuy of Succoth and Pe­nuell. [Page 120] The one, enuies that hee should ouer-come without them; the other, that hee should but say hee had ouer-come. His pursute leades him to Succoth, there hee craues releefe, & is repelled. Had he said, Come forth & draw your sword with mee against Zeba and Zalmunna, the motion had beene but equall; A common interest challenges an vniuersall ayde: Now he saies, but, Giue morsells of bread to my followers; He is turn'd off with a scorne; Hee asks bread, and they giue him a stone. Could hee aske a more slender recom­pence of their deliuerance, or a lesse reward of his victory? Giue morsels of bread. Before this act, all their substance had been too small an hire of their freedome [Page 121] from Midian; now when it is done, a morsell of bread is too much: Well might hee challenge bread, where he gaue liberty, and life. It is hard, if those which fight the warres of God, may not haue ne­cessary reliefe; that whiles the e­nemy dies by them, they should die by famine. If they had labou­red for GOD at home in peace, they had been worthy of mainte­nance; how much more now, that danger is added to their toyle? E­uen very Executioners looke for fees: but heere were not malefac­tors, but aduersaries to be slaine; the sword of power and reuenge was now to bee wielded, not of quiet iustice. Those that fight for our soules against spirituall pow­ers, may challenge bread from vs, [Page 122] and it is a shamelesse vnthankful­nesse to deny it. When Abraham had vanquished the fiue Kings, & deliuered Lot and his familie, the King of Salem met him with bread and wine; and now these sonnes of Abram, after an equall victorie, aske dry bread, and are denied by their brethren: Craftily yet, & vn­der pretence of a false title, had they acknowledged the victory of Gideon, with what forhead could they haue denied him bread?

Now, I knowe not vvhether their faithlesnesse, or enuy lie in their way; Are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna in thy hands? There vvere none of these Princes of Succoth and Penuel, but thought thēselues better men then Gideon; [Page 123] That hee therefore alone, should doe that, which all the Princes of Israel durst not attempt, they ha­ted and scorned to heare. It is ne­uer safe to measure euents by the power of the instrument; nor in the causes of God (whose calling makes the difference) to measure others by our selues: There is no­thing more dangerous then in ho­ly businesses to stand vpon com­parisons, and our own reputation; sith it is reason GOD should both chuse, and blesse where he lists.

To haue questioned so sudden a victory had bin pardonable: but to deny it scornfully, was vnwor­thy of Israelites. Carnall men think that impossible to others, vvhich themselues cannot doe: From [Page 124] hence are their censures, hence their exclamations.

Gideon hath vowed a fearfull re­uenge, and now performes it; the taunts of his brethren may not stay him from the pursute of the Midi­anites; Common enmities must first be opposed, domesticall, at more leysure. The Princes of Suc­coth feared the tyranny of the Mi­dianitish Kings, but they more fea­red Gideons victory. What a con­dition hath their enuy drawn them into? that they are sory to see Gods enemies captiue; that Israels free­dome must bee their death; that the Midianites & they, must trem­ble at one and the same Reuen­ger. To see themselues prisoners to Zeba and Zalmunna, had not [Page 125] been so fearefull, as to see Zeba & Zalmunna prisoners to Gideon. Nothing is more terrible to euill mindes, then to read their owne condemnation in the happy suc­cesse of others: Hell it selfe would want one peece of his torment, if the wicked did not knowe those whom they contemned, glori­ous.

I knowe not whether more to commend Gideons wisedome and moderation in the proceedings, then his resolution and iustice in the execution of this business. I doe not see him runne furiouslie into the Citie, and kill the next; His sword had not been so drun­ken with bloud, that it shold know no difference: But he writes down [Page 126] the names of the Princes, and sin­gles them forth for reuenge.

When the Leaders of GOD come to a Iericho, or Ai, their slaughter was vnpartiall; not a wo­man or child might liue to tell newes: but now that Gideon comes to a Succoth, a Citie of Israelites, the Rulers are called foorth to death, the people are frighted with the example, not hurt vvith the iudgement. To enwrappe the innocent in any vengeance, is a murderous iniustice: Indeede where all ioyne in the sin, all are woorthy to meet in the punish­ment. It is like, the Citizens of Succoth could haue been glad to succour Gideon, if their Rulers had not forbidden: they must there­fore [Page 127] escape, vvhiles their Princes perish.

I cannot thinke of Gideons re­uenge without horror; That the Rulers of Succoth shold haue their flesh torne from their backs with thornes & briers; that they should be at once beaten, and scratcht to death. What a spectacle it was to see their bare bones looking some-where through the bloudie ragges of their flesh and skinne, and euery stroke worse then the last; death multiplied by torment! Iustice is sometimes so seuere, that a tender beholder can scarce dis­cerne it from crueltie.

I see the Midianites fare lesse ill; the edge of the sword makes a [Page 128] speedie and easie passage for their liues, whiles these rebellious Isra­elites die lingringly vnder thornes and bryers, enuying those in their death, whom their life abhorred. Howsoeuer men liue or die with­out the pale of the Church, a wic­ked Israelite shalbe sure of plagues. How many shal vnwish themselues Christians, when Gods reuenges haue found them out? The place where Iacob wrestled with GOD Peni-el. and preuailed, now hath wrestled against God, and takes a fall; they see God auenging which would not belieue him deliuering.

It was now time for Zeba & Zal­munna to follow those their troups to the graue, whom they had led in the field: Those which the day [Page 129] before, were attended with an hundred thirty fiue thousand fol­lowers, haue not so much as a Page now left to weepe for their death; and haue liued onely to see all their friends, and some ene­mies, die for their sakes. Who can regard earthly greatness, that sees one night change two of the grea­test Kings of the world into cap­tiues? It had been both pitie and sinne, that the heads of that Midi­anitish tyranny, into which they had drawne so many thousands, should haue escaped that death.

And yet, if priuate reuenge had not made Gideon iust, I doubt whe­ther they had died; The bloud of his brothers calls for theirs, and a­wakes his sword to their executi­on; [Page 130] Hee both knew and complai­ned of the Madianitish oppression, vnder which Israel groned: yet the cruelty offered to all the thou­sands of his Fathers sonnes, had not drawne the bloud of Zeba and Zalmunna, if his own mothers sons had not bled by their hands. Hee that slew the Rulers of Succoth and Penuel, & spared the people, now hath slaine the people of Midian, and would haue spared their Ru­lers: but that God which wil finde occasions to wind wicked men in­to iudgement, wil haue them slain in a priuate quarrell, which had more deserued it for the publike; If we may not rather say, that Gi­deon reuenged these as a Magi­strate, not as a brother: For Go­uernors to respect their own ends [Page 131] in publique actions, and to weare the sword of iustice in their owne sheath, it is a wrongfull abuse of authoritie. The slaughter of Gide­ons brethren, was not the greatest sinne of the Midianitish Kings; this alone shall kill them, vvhen the rest expected an vniust remis­sion. How many lewd men hath God paid with some one sinne for all the rest? Some that haue gone away with vnnaturall filthinesse, & capitall thefts, haue clipped off their own dayes with their coine; Others, whose bloudy murders haue been punished in a mutinous word; Others, whose suspected fe­lony hath payd the price of their vnknowne rape. O GOD, thy iudgements are iust, euen vvhen mens are vniust!

[Page 132] Gideons young son is bidden to reuenge the death of his Vncles; His sword had not yet learn'd the way to bloud, especially of Kings, though in irons: Deadly executi­ons require strength both of heart and face. How are those aged in euill, that can draw their swords vpon the lawfully Anointed of God? These Tyrants pleade not now for continuance of life, but for the haste of their death; Fall thou vpon vs. Death is euer ac­companied with paine, which it is no maruell if we wish short: Wee doe not more affect protraction of an easefull life, then speed in our dissolution; for heere euery pang that tends toward death, renewes it: To lie an houre vnder death, is tedious; but to be dying a whole [Page 133] day, we thinke aboue the strength of humane patience. Oh what shal wee then conceiue of that death, which knowes no end? As this life is no lesse fraile then the bodie which it animates; so that death is no lesse eternall then the soule which must endure it: For vs to be dying so long as wee now haue leaue to hue, is intolerable; and yet one onely minute of that o­ther tormenting death, is worse then an age of this. Oh the despe­rate infidelitie of carelesse men, that shrinke at the thought of a momentany death, and feare not eternal. This is but a killing of the body: that is a destruction of bo­dy and soule.

[Page 134] Who is so worthy to weare the Crowne of Israel, as hee that won the Crowne from Midian. Their Vsurpers were gone, now they are headless; It is a doubt whether they were better to haue had no Kings, or Tyrants; They sue to Gideon to accept of the Kingdom, & are repulsed; There is no grea­ter example of modestie, then Gi­deon. When the Angel spake to him, he abased himselfe belowe all Israel; when the Ephraimites con­tended with him, hee prefers their gleanings to his vintage, and casts his honour at their feet: and now when Israel profers him that king­dome which he had merited, hee refuses it. Hee that in ouercom­ming would allow them to cry, The sword of the Lord, and of Gide­on, [Page 135] in gouerning, will haue none but The sword of the Lord. That which others plotte, and sue, and sweare, and bribe for, Dignity and superiority, hee seriously reiects; vvhether it were, for that he knew God had not yet called them to a Monarchy; or rather, for that hee saw the Crowne among thornes? What doe wee ambitiously affect the commaund of these mole-hils of earth, when wise men haue re­fused the profers of Kingdomes? Why doe we not rather labor for that Kingdome which is free from all cares, from all vncertaintie?

Yet he that refuses their Crown, calls for their earings, although not to enrich himselfe, but religi­on. So long had God bin a stran­ger [Page 136] to Israel, that now superstition goes currant for deuout worship. It were pitty that good intentions shold make any man wicked; here they did so: Neuer man meant better then Gideon in his rich E­phod; yet this very act set all Isra­el on whoring: God had chosen a place, and a seruice of his owne. When the wit of man will be ouer­pleasing God with better deuises then his owne, it turnes to mad­ness, and ends in mischiefe.

Abimelechs Ʋsurpation.

GIdeon refused the king­dome of Israel when it was offred; his seuenty sonnes offred not to obtaine that Scepter, which their fathers victorie had deserued to make hereditary: onely Abimelec the concubines sonne, sues and ambitiously plots for it. VVhat could Abimelec see in himselfe that hee should ouer-looke all his bre­thren? If hee lookt to his father, they were his equals; if to his mo­ther, they were his betters. Those [Page 138] that are most vnworthy of honor, are horest in the chase of it, whiles the conscience of better deserts bids men sitte still, and stay to be either importuned, or neglected; There can be no greater signe of vnfitness, then vehement sute: It is hard to say, whether there be more pride, or ignorance in Ambition. I haue noted this difference be­twixt spirituall and earthly honor, and the Clients of both; wee can­not be worthy of the one without earnest prosecution; nor with ear­nest prosecution worthy of the o­ther: The violent obtain heauen; onely the meek are worthy to in­herit the earth.

That which an aspiring heart hath proiected, it will finde both [Page 139] argument and means to effect; If either bribes or fauour will carry it, the proud man will not sit out; The Shechemites are fit brokers for Abimelec; That Citie which once betrayed it selfe to vtter depopu­lation in yeelding to the sute of Hamor, now betraies it selfe, and all Israel in yielding to the request of Abimelec; By them hath this V­surper made himselfe a faire way to the throne: It was an easie que­stion, Whether will ye admitte of the sonnes of Gideon for your Ru­lers, or of Strangers? If of the sons of Gideon, whether of all, or one? If of one, whether of your owne flesh and bloud, or of others vn­known? To cast off the sonnes of Gideon for Strangers, were vn­thankfull; To admit of seauentie [Page 140] Kings in one small Country, were vnreasonable; To admit of any o­ther rather then their owne kins­man, were vnnaturall. Gideons sons therefore must rule amongst all Is­rael; One of his sonnes amongst those seuentie: and who should be that one but Abimelec? Natural re­spects are the most dangerous corrupters of all elections; What hope can there bee of worthy Su­periors in any free people, where neereness of bloud carries it from fitnes of disposition? Whiles they say, He is our brother, they are ene­mies to themselues, and Israel.

Faire words haue won his bre­thren; they the Sechemites; the Se­chemites furnish him with mony, mony with men; His men begin [Page 141] with murder, and now Abimelec raignes alone; Flattery, bribes and bloud, are the vsuall stayres of the Ambitious: The mony of Baal is a fit hire for murderers; that which Idolatry hath gathered, is fitlie spent vpon Treason: One diuel is ready to help another in mischief; Seldome euer is ill-gotten riches better imployed. It is no wonder if he that hath Baal his Idol, now make an Idol of Honour. There was neuer any man that worship­ped but one Idol; Wo be to them that lie in the way of the Aspiring: Tho they be brothers, they shall bleed; yea the nearer they are, the more sure is their ruine. VVho would not now thinke that Abi­melec should finde an hell in his breast, after so barbarous and vn­naturall [Page 142] a massacre; and yet be­hold he is as senselesse as the stone vpon which the bloud of his sea­uenty brethren was spilt. VVhere Ambition hath possest it selfe throughly of the soule, it turnes the heart into steele, and makes it vncapable of a conscience; All sinnes will easily downe vvith the man that is resolued to rise.

Onely Iotham fell not at that fatall stone with his brethren; It is an hard battell where none es­capes. Hee escapes, not to raigne, not to reuenge; but to be a Pro­phet, and a witnesse of the venge­ance of GOD vpon the Vsurper, vpon the Abettors; Hee liues to tell Abimelec hee was but a bram­ble, a weed rather then a tree. A [Page 143] right bramble indeed, that grew but out of the base hedg-row of a Concubine, that could not lift vp his head from the earth, vnlesse he were supported by some bush or pale of Shechem, that had laid hold of the fleece of Israel, and had drawne bloud of all his brethren; and lastly, that had no substance in him, but the sap of vaine-glory, and the pricks of crueltie. It vvas better then a kingdom to him, out of his obscure Beer, to see the fire out of this bramble to consume those trees; The view of Gods re­uenge, is so much more pleasing to a good heart, then his owne, by how much it is more iust and full.

There was neuer such a patterne of vnthankfulness, as these Israe­lites: [Page 144] They which lately thought a Kingdome too small recompence for Gideon and his sonnes, novv thinke it too much for his seede to liue; and take life away from the sonnes of him, that gaue thē both life and liberty. Yet if this had bin some hundred of yeers after, when time had worne out the memory of Ierub-baal, it might haue borne a better excuse. No man can hope to hold pase with Time; The best names may not think scorne to be vnknowne to following generati­ons: but ere their Deliuerer vvas cold in his coffin, to pay his bene­fits (which deserued to be euerla­sting) with the extirpation of his Posteritie, it was more then sa­uage. VVhat can bee looked for from Idolaters? If a man haue cast [Page 145] off his God, hee will easily cast off his friends: When religion is once gone, humanitie will not stay long after.

That, which the people were punished afterwards for but desi­ring, he inioyes. Now is Abimelec seated in the throne which his Fa­ther refused, and no riuall is seene to enuy his peace: But how long will this glory last? Stay but three yeeres, and ye shall see this bram­ble withered, and burnt. The pro­speritie of the wicked is short and fickle; a stolne Crowne (tho it may looke faire) cannot be made of any but brittle stuffe. All life is vncertaine: but wickednes ouer-runnes nature.

[Page 146] The euill spirit thrust himselfe into the plot of Abimelechs vsurpa­tion and murder, & wrought with the Sechemites for both: and now God sends the euill spirit betwixt Abimelec and the Sichemites, to work the ruine of each other. The first could not haue been without God; but in the second, GOD challenges a part: Reuenge is his, where the sinne is ours. It had bin pitty that the Sichemites should haue been plagued by any other hand then Abimelecs; They raised him vniustly to the Throne, they are the first that feele the weight of his scepter. The foolish Bird limes herself with that which grew from her owne excretion: vvho wonders to see the kinde Peasant stung with his owne snake?

[Page 147] The breach begins at Shechem; His own Countrimen flie off from their promised allegeance; Tho all Israel should haue faln of from Abimelec, yet they of Shechem shold haue stuck close: It was their act, they ought to haue made it good. How should good Princes be ho­noured, when euen Abimelecs once settled cannot be opposed vvith safety? Now they begin the reuolt to the rest of Israel. Yet, if this had been done out of repentance, it had bin praise-worthy; but to be done out of a trecherous incon­stancie, was vnworthy of Israelites. How could Abimelec hope for fi­delity of them, whom he had made and found Traytors to his fathers bloud? No man knowes how to be sure of him that is vnconscionable; [Page 148] He that hath bin vnfaithful to one, knowes the way to be perfidious, and is onely fit for his trust, that is worthy to be deceiued; vvhereas faithfulnesse, besides the present good, laies a ground of further as­surance. The friendship that is be­gun in euil, cannot stand; wicked­nes, both of it owne nature, and through the curse of God, is euer vnsteddy: and thogh there be not a disagreement in hell (being but the place of retribution, not of ac­tion) yet on earth, there is no peace among the wicked; whereas that affection which is knit in God, is indissoluble.

If the men of Shechem had aban­doned their false God, with their false King, and out of a serious re­morse, [Page 149] & desire of satisfaction for their idolatry & bloud, had oppo­sed this Tyrant, & preferd Iotham to his throne, there might haue bin both warrant for their quarrel, and hope of success: but now, if Abi­melec be a wicked Vsurper, yet the Shechemites are Idolatrous Tray­tors. How could they thinke, that God wold rather reuenge Abime­lecs bloody intrusion by them, then their trechery & Idolatry by Abi­melec? Whē the quarrel is betwixt God & Satan, there is no doubt of the issue; but when one diuel fights with another, what certenty is there of the victory? Though the cause of God had bin good, yet it had bin safe for them to looke to thēselues: the vnworthiness of the agent ma­ny times, curses a good enterprise.

[Page 150] No sooner is a secret dislike kindled in any people against their Gouernours, then there is a Gaal ready to blow the coales: It were a wonder if euer any faction should want an Head; As contrarily, ne­uer any man was so ill, as not to haue some fauorers: Abimelec hath a Zebul in the midst of Shechem; Lightly, all treasons are betrayd e­uen with some of their owne; His intelligence brings the sword of Abimelec vpon Shechem, who now hath demolished the City, & sown it with salt. Oh the iust successions of the reuenges of God! Gideons Ephod is punished with the bloud of his sonnes; the bloud of his sons is shed by the procurement of the Shechemites; the bloud of the She­chemites is shed by Abimelec: the [Page 151] bloud of Abimelec is spilt by a wo­man. The retaliations of God, are sure and iust, & make a more due pedigree, then descent of nature.

The pursued Shechemites, flie to the house of their god Berith; now they are safe: that place is at once a fort, and a sanctuary. VVhether should we fly in our distresse but to our GOD? And now this refuge shall teach them what a God they haue serued: The iealous God whom they had forsaken, hath them now where he would, & re­ioyces at once to be reuenged of their god, & them: Had they not made the house of Baal their shel­ter, they had not died so fearfully. Now, according to the prophecie of Iotham, a fire goes out of the [Page 152] bramble, and consumes these Ce­dars, and their eternall flames be­gin in the house of their Berith: the confusion of wicked men, ri­ses out of the false Deities vvhich they haue doted on.

Of all the Conspirators against Gideons sonnes, only Abimelec yet suruiues, and his day is now com­ming. His success against Shechem, hath filled his hart with thoughts of victorie; He hath caged vp the inhabitants of Tebez within their tower also; and what remaines for them, but the same end with their neighbours? And behold, while his hand is busie in putting fire to the dore of their tower, which yet was not hie (for then he could not haue discerned a woman to be his [Page 153] Executioner) a stone from a vvo­mans hand strikes his head; His paine in dying, was not so much as his indignation to know by whom he died: & rather wil he die twise, then a woman shal kill him. If God had not known his stomack so big, he had not vexed him with the im­potency of his Victor: God findes a time to reckon with wicked men for all the arrerages of their sinnes. Our sins are not more our debts to God, then his iudgements are his debts to our sinnes, which at last hee will be sure to pay home. There now lies the greatness of A­bimelec; vpon one stone had hee slaine his seuenty brethren, & now a stone slaies him; His head had stolne the Crown of Israel, & now his head is smitten: And what is [Page 154] Abimelec better that he was a King? What difference is there betwixt him, and any of his seauenty bre­thren whom he murdred, saue on­ly in guiltinesse? They beare but their owne bloud; hee, the weight of all theirs. How happy a thing is it to liue well! that our death, as it is certaine, so may be comforta­ble: What a vanitie it is to insult in the death of them, whom wee must follow the same way?

The Tyran hath his payment, & that time which he shold haue be­stowed in calling for mereie to GOD, and washing his bloudie soule with the last teares of contri­tion, he vainly spends in depreca­ting an idle reproach; Kill me, that it may not be said, He died by a wo­man: [Page 155] A fitte conclusion for such a life. The expectation of true and endless torment, doth not so much vex him, as the friuolous report of a dishonor; neither is he so much troubled with, Abimelec is frying in hell, as, Abimelec is slaine by a woman. So, vaine fooles are nig­gardly of their reputation, & pro­digall of their soules; Doe we not see them runne wilfully into the field, into the graue, in [...]o hell? and all, least it shold be said, They haue but as much feare, as wit.

Jeptha.

ISrael, that had now long gone a who­ring from GOD, hath bin punished by the regiment of the Concubines sonne, and at last seekes protection from the sonne of an harlot: It is no small miserie to be obliged vnto the vnworthy. The concubines son made sute to them; They make sute to the son [Page 162] of the harlot. It was no fault of Ieptha that hee had an ill mother, yet is he branded with the indigni­tie of his bastardie; neither would God conceale this blemish of na­ture, which Ieptha could neither auoyd, nor remedy. God, to show his detestation of whoredom, re­uenges it not onely vpon the ac­tors, but vpon their issue: Hence he hath shut out the base-son from the congregation of Israel, to the tenth generation, that a transient euil might haue a durable reproch attending it; And that after the death of the Adulterer, yet his shame might liue. But, that God who iustly ties men to his lawes, will not abide that wee should tie him to our lawes, or his owne; He can both rectifie and ennoble the [Page 163] bloud of Ieptha. That no man should be too much discouraged with the errors of his propagation, euen the base son of man may be the lawfully begotten of God; & though hee be cast out from the inheritance of his brethren vpon earth, may bee admitted to the kingdome of Israel.

I heare no praise of the lawfull issue of Gilead; onely this mis-be­gotten sonne is commended for his valour, and set at the sterne of Israel: The common gifts of God respect not the parentage or blood, but are indifferently scattered where he pleases to let them fall. The choice of the Almighty, is not guided by our rules; As in spiritu­all, so in earthly things, it is not in [Page 164] him that willeth: If GOD would haue men glory in these outward priuiledges, he would bestow vp­on them none but the worthy.

Now, who can bee proude of strength or greatnes, when he sees him that is not so honest, yet is more valiant, and more aduaun­ced? Had not Ieptha been base, he had not been thrust out; and if he had not been thrust out from his brethren, hee had neuer been the Captaine of Israel. By contrarie pases to ours, it pleaseth GOD to come to his owne ends: and how vsually doth he looke the contrary way, to that he moues? No man can measure the conclusion of Gods act by his beginning: Hee that fetches good out of euill, [Page 165] raises the glory of men out of their ruine. Men loue to goe the nee­rest way, and often faile: GOD commonly goes about, and in his owne time comes surely home.

The Gileadites were not so for­ward to expell Ieptha, as gladde to recall him; No Ammonite threat­ned them when they parted vvith such an helper: Now, whom they cast out in their peace, they fetch home in their danger and misery. That God who neuer gaue ought in vaine, will finde a time to make vse of any gift that hee hath be­stowed vpon men; The valour of Ieptha shall not rust in his secrecie, but bee imploied to the common preseruation of Israel: Necessitie will driue vs to seeke vp all our [Page 166] helps, euen those whom our wan­tonnesse hath despised.

How iustly are the sutes of our need vp braided with the errors of our prosperitie? The Elders of Gilead now heare of their ancient wrong, and dare not finde fault with their exprobration; Did yee not hate mee, and expell me out of my Fathers house? How then come yee now to mee in time of Tribulation? The same expostulation that Iep­tha makes with Gilead, GOD also at the same time makes with Israel; Ye haue for saken me, & serued other Gods; wherefore should I deliuer you any more: Goe & cry vnto the gods whom ye haue serued. As we, so God also findes it seasonable to tell his children of their faults, whiles hee [Page 167] is whipping them. It is a safe and wise course, to make much of those in our peace, whom we must make vse of in our extremity; else it is but iust, that we should be re­iected of those, whom we haue re­iected. Can we look for any other answere from God then this? Did ye not driue me out of your hou­ses, out of your harts, in the time of your health and iollitie? Did yee not plead the strictnesse of my charge, & the weight of my yoke? Did not your wilfull sinnes expell mee from your soules? What doe you now crowching & creeping to me in the euill day? Surelie, O God, it is but iustice, if thou bee not found of those, which vvere glad to lose thee; it is thy mercie, if after many checks, and delaies, [Page 168] thou wilt be found at last. Where an act cannot be reuersed, there is no amends, but confession; and if God himselfe take vp with this satisfaction, He that confesses, shall finde mercy; how much more shold men hold thēselues well paid with words of humilitie, and depreca­tion?

Iepthaes wisedome had not bin answerable to his valour, if he had not made his match before hand; He could not but know how tre­cherously Israel had dealt with Gi­deon. VVee cannot make too sure worke, when we haue to doe with vnfaithfull men: It hath been an old policie to serue our selues of men; and after our aduantage, to turne them vp. He bargains ther­fore [Page 169] for his Soueraignttie ere he winne it, Shall I be your Head? We are all naturally ambitious, and are ready to buy honor euen with hazard. And if the hope of a trou­blesome superioritie incouraged Ieptha to fight against the forces of Ammon, what hart should vvee take in the battels of God against spirituall wickednesses, when the God of heauen hath said, To him that ouercomes, will I giue power o­uer nations, and to sit with me in my Throne? Oh that wee could bend our eyes vpon the recompence of our reward; how willingly should wee march forward against these mighty Ammonites! Ieptha is no­ted for his valour, and yet he in­treates with Ammon, ere he fights. To make war any other then our [Page 170] last remedy, is not courage, but cruelty and rashness: And now, when reason will not preuaile, he betakes himselfe to his sword.

As God began the warre vvith Ieptha, in raising vp his hart to that pitch of fortitude; so Ieptha be­gan his warre at GOD, in crauing victory from him, & pouring out his vow to him: His hand tooke hold of his sword; his hart, of God: therefore hee, whom the old Te­stament stiles valiant, the new, stiles faithfull; Hee who is com­mended for his strength, dares trust in none, but the arme of God: If thou wilt giue the Ammo­nites into my hand. If Ieptha had not lookt vpward for his victory, in vaine had the Gileadites lookt [Page 171] vp to him: This is the disposition of all good harts, they looke to their sword, or their bowe, as ser­uants, not as Patrons; and whiles they vse them, trust to God. If we could doe so in all our businesses, wee should haue both more ioy in their successe, and lesse discomfort in their miscariage.

It was his zeale to vow: it vvas his sinne to vow rashly. Iacob his fore-father, of whom hee learned to vow, might haue taught him a better forme; If GOD will bee with me, then shall the Lord be my God. It is well with vowes, when the thing promised makes the pro­mise good: But when Ieptha saies, Whatsoeuer thing commeth out of the doores of my house, shall bee the [Page 172] Lords, or I will offer it for a burnt sacrifice; his deuotion is blind, and his good affection ouer-runnes his iudgement: For what if a dog, or a swine, or an asse had met him, where had been the promise of his consecration?

Vowes are as they are made; like vnto sents, if they bee of ill composition, nothing offends more; if well tempered, nothing is more pleasant: Either certainty of euill, or vncertainty of good, or impossibilitie of performance, makes vowes no seruice to GOD. When we vow what we cannot, or what we ought not doe, we mock God insteed of honoring him: It is a vaine thing for vs, to go about to catch God hood-winkt; The [Page 173] conscience shall neuer finde peace in any way, but that which we see before vs, and which we know safe both in the kind, and circumstan­ces. There is no comfort in (per­aduenture I may please GOD.) What good child wil not take part of the Parents ioy? If Ieptha re­turne with Trophees, it is no mar­uell if his daughter meet him with Timbrels: Oh that we could be so affected with the glorious acts of our heauenly Father! Thou sub­duest thine enemies, and mightily deliuerest thy people. O GOD, a song waiteth for thee in Sion.

Who vvould haue suspected danger in a dutifull Triumph? VVell might Iepthaes daughter haue thought; My sexe forbad me [Page 174] to doe any thing towards the help of my Fathers victory; I can doe little, if I cannot applaud it; If na­ture haue made me weake, yet not vnthankfull; nothing forbids my ioy to be as strong as the Victors; Though I might not goe out with my father to fight, yet I may meet him with gratulations; A Timbrel may become these hands which were vnfit for a sword; This day hath made me the daughter of the Head of Israel; This day hath made both Israel free, my father a Conqueror, and my selfe in him noble: and shal my affection make no difference? What must my fa­ther needs think, if hee shall finde me sitting sullenly at home, whiles all Israel striues who shall run first to blesse him with their acclamati­ons? [Page 175] Should I onely be insensible of his, and the common happi­nesse?

And now, behold when shee lookes for most thanks, her father answers the measures of her feet, with the knockings of his breast, and weeps at her musick, & teares his clothes to looke vpon her, whom he best loued, and giues no answere to her Timbrels, but Alas my daughter, thou art of them that trouble mee: Her ioy alone hath changed the day, & lost the com­fort of that victory, which shee in­ioyed to see won. It falls out often, that those times and occasions, which promise most contentment, prooue most dolefull in the issue: The hart of this Virgin was neuer [Page 176] lifted vp so hie as now, neither did any day of her life seem happy but this; and this onely, proues the day of her solemne, and perpetuall mourning: As contrarilie the times and euents which wee haue most distrusted, proue most bene­ficiall. It is good in a fair morning, to thinke of the storme that may rise ere night, and to enioy both good and euill fearefully.

Miserable is that deuotiō which troubles vs in the performance; Nothing is more pleasant then the acts of true pietie: Ieptha might well see the wrong of this religi­on, in the distaste of it; yet whiles himselfe had troubled his daugh­ter, hee faies, Alas my daughter, thou art of them that trouble mee. [Page 177] She did but her dutie, he did what he should not; yet hee would be rid of the blame, tho he cannot of the smart. No man is willing to owne a sin; the first man shifted it from himselfe, to his wife; this, from himselfe to his daughter: Hee was ready to accuse another, which onely committed it himselfe. It were happy if we could be as loth to commit sinne, as to acknow­ledge it.

The inconsideration of this vow was very tough, and settled; I haue opened my mouth, and cannot goe backe. If there were iust cause to repent, it was the weakness of his zeale, to thinke that a vow could binde him to euill; An vn­lawfull vow is ill made, but worse [Page 178] performed. It were pitty this con­stancie should light vpon any, but an holy obiect: No lone can make a truer debt, then our vow; which if we pay not in our performance, God will pay vs with iudgement. We haue all opened our mouthes to God in that initiall, and solemn vow of Christianity; Oh that wee could not goe backe! So much more is our vow obligatory, by how much the thing vowed is more necessary.

Why was the soule of Ieptha thus troubled, but because he saw the entaile of his new honour thus suddenly cut off? He saw the hope of posteritie extinguished, in the virginity of his daughter. It is na­turall to vs, to affect that perpetu­itie [Page 179] in our succession, which is de­nied vs in our persons; Our very bodies would emulate the eternity of the soule. And if GOD haue built any of vs an house on earth, as well as prepared vs an house in heauen, it must be confessed a fa­uour, worth our thankfulness: but as the perpetuitie of our earthlie houses is vncertaine; so let vs not rest our harts vpon that, but make sure of the house which is eternall in the heauens.

Doubtlesse, the goodnes of the daughter added to the fathers so­row: Shee was not more louing, then religious; neither is she lesse willing to be the Lords, then her fathers: and as prouoking her fa­ther to that which he thought pie­tie, [Page 180] though to her own wrong, she saies, If thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lord, doe with mee as thou hast promised. Many a daughter would haue disswaded her father with teares, and haue wisht rather her fathers impietie, then her own preiudice; Shee sues for the smart of her fathers vowe. How obse­quious should children be to the will of their carefull Parents, euen in their finall disposition in the world, when they see this holie maid willing to abandon the world vpon the rash vow of a father? They are the liuing goods of their Parents, and must therefore waite vpon the bestowing of their ow­ners: They mistake themselues, which thinke they are their owne; If this maid had vowed herselfe to [Page 181] God vvithout her Father, it had been in his power to abrogate it; but now that hee vowed her to GOD vvithout her selfe, it stands in force. But what shall wee say to those children, whom their Pa­rents vow and care, cannot make so much as honest; that will be no other then godlesse in spight of their Baptisme, and education? What, but that they are giuen their Parents for a curse, and shall one day finde what it is to bee rebelli­ous.

All her desire is, that shee may haue leaue to bewaile that which she must be forced to keepe, Vir­ginitie: If shee had not held it an affliction, there had been no cause to bewaile it; it had bin no thanke [Page 182] to vnder-goe it, if shee had not known it to be a cross. Teares are no argument of impatience; wee may mourne for that wee repine not to beare: How comes that to be a meritorious vertue vnder the Gospell, which was but a punish­ment vnder the Law? The daugh­ters of Israel had been too lauish of their teares, if virginitie had bin absolutely good: VVhat iniurie should it haue been to lament that spirituall preferment, which they should rather haue emulated?

While Iepthaes daughter vvas two monethes in the mountaines, she might haue had good oppor­tunitie to escape her fathers vow; but as one, whom her obedience tyed as close to her father, as his [Page 183] vow tyed him to God, she returns to take vp that burden, which she had bewailed to foresee: If we be truly dutifull to our father in hea­uen, wee would not slip our necks out of the yoke tho we might, nor flie from his commaunds, though the doore were open.

Sampson conceiued.

OF extraordinary per­sons, the very birth & conception is extraor­dinary; God beginnes his wonders betimes, in those whō hee will make wonderfull: There was neuer any of those which were miraculously conceiued, vvhose liues were not notable, and singu­lar. The presages of the wombe, and the cradle, are commonly an­swered in the life; It is not the vse of GOD to cast away strange be­ginnings. If Manoahs wife had not been barren, the Angell had not [Page 186] been barren, the Angell had not been sent to her: Afflictions haue this aduantage, that they occasion GOD to show that mercy to vs, whereof the prosperous are vnca­pable; It would not beseem a mo­ther to bee so indulgent to an healthfull child, as to a sick. It was to the woman that the Angell ap­peared, not to the husband; whe­ther for that the reproach of bar­rennesse lay vpon her more heaui­ly, then on the father; or for that the birth of the child should cost her more deare then her husband; or lastly, for that the difficultie of this newes was more in her con­ception, then in his generation: As Satan layes his batteries euer to the weakest; so contrarily, God addresseth his comforts to those [Page 187] harts that haue most need; As, at the first, because Eue had most rea­son to be deiected, for that her sin had drawne man into the Trans­gression, therefore the Cordiall of GOD most respecteth her; The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head.

As a Physitian first tells the state of the disease with his Symptoms, and then prescribes; so dooth the Angell of God, first tell the wife of Manoah her complaint, then her remedy; Thou art barren. All our afflictions are more noted of that GOD which sends them, then of the Patient that suffers them: how can it be but lesse possible to in­dure any thing that he knows not, than that hee inflicteth not? Hee [Page 188] saith to one, Thou art sicke; to an other, Thou art poore; to a third, Thou art defamed; Thou art op­pressed, to another: That all-see­ing Eye, takes notice from heauen of euery mans condition, no lesse then if he should send an Angel to tell vs he knew it; His knowledge compared with his mercy, is the iust comfort of all our sufferings. O GOD, vvee are many times miserable, and feele it not; Thou knowest euē those sorrowes which wee might haue; Thou knowest what thou hast done: do what thou wilt.

Thou art barren. Not that the Angel would vpbrayd the poore woman with her affliction; but therefore he names her paine, that [Page 189] the mention of her cure might be so much more welcom; Comfort shal com vnseasonably to that hart which is not apprehensiue of his owne sorrow: We must first know our euils, ere we can quit them. It is the iust method of euery true Angel of GOD, first to let vs see that whereof either wee doe, or should complaine, and then to ap­ply comforts. Like as a good Phy­sitian, first pulls downe the body, and then raises it with cordialls. If wee cannot abide to heare of our faults, wee are not capable of a­mendement.

If the Angel had first said, Thou shalt conceiue, and not premised, Thou art barren; I doubt whether shee had conceiued faith in her [Page 190] soule, of that infant which her bo­dy should conceiue; Now, his knowledge of her present estate, makes way for the assurance of the future. Thus euer it pleases our good God, to leaue a pawne of his fidelitie with vs; that vvee should not distrust him in what he will do, when we find him faithfull in that which we see done.

It is good reason that he which giues the sonne to the barren mo­ther, should dispose of him, and diet him both in the wombe first, and after, in the world. The mo­ther must first be a Nazarite, that her sonne may be so. Whiles shee was barren, she might drink what she would: but now that shee shall conceiue a Sampson, her choice [Page 191] must be limited; There is an holie austerity that euer followes the speciall calling of GOD; The worldling may take his full scope, and deny his backe and belly no­thing; but he that hath once con­ceiued that blessed burden, where­of Sampson was a type, must bee strict and seuere to himselfe; nei­ther his tongue, nor his palat, nor his hand may runne riot; Those pleasures which seemed not vn­seemly for the multitude, are now debarred him. We borrow more names of our Sauiour then one; As wee are Christians, so wee are Nazarites, the consecration of our God is vpon our heads; and ther­fore our very haire should be ho­lie. Our appetite must be curbed, our passions moderated, and so [Page 192] estranged from the world, that in the losse of parents, or children, nature may not make vs forget grace. What doth the loosenes of vaine men perswade them that God is not curious, when they see him thus precisely ordering the very diet of his Nazarites? Nature pleades for liberty; religion for restraint: Not that there is more vncleannesse in the grape, then in the fountaine; but that wine findes more vncleannesse in vs, then wa­ter, and that the hie feede is not so fit for deuotion, as abstinence. Who sees not a ceremony in this commaund? VVhich yet carries with it this substance of euerla­sting vse, that God and the bellie will not admit of one seruant; that quaffing and cramming is not the [Page 193] way to heauen: A drunken Naza­rite is a monster among men. We haue now more scope then the an­cient; not drinking of vvine, but drunkennesse with wine is forbid­den to the Euangelicall Nazarite; wine, wherein is excess. Oh that euer Christian should quench the spirit of GOD, with a liquor of Gods owne making; That they should suffer their hearts to bee drowned with wine, and should so liue, as if the practice of the Gos­pell, were quite contrary to the rule of the law.

The mother must conceiue the onely Giant of Israel, & yet must drinke but water; neither must the child touch any other cup. Neuer wine made so strong a Champion [Page 194] as water did heere: The power of nourishment, is not in the crea­tures, but in their Maker. Daniel and his three companions kept their complexion, vvith the same diet where-with Sampson got his strength; he that gaue that power to the grape, can giue it to the streame. O God, how iustlie doe wee raise our eyes from our tables vnto thee, which canst make wa­ter nourish, and wine enfeeble vs!

Sampson had not a better mo­ther, then Manoah had a wife; she hides not the good newes in her owne bosome, but imparts it to her husband: That wife hath lear­ned to make a true vse of her Head, which is euer reade to con­sult with him, about the messages [Page 195] of God. If shee were made for his helper, hee is much more hers. Thus should good women make amends for their first offence; that as Eue no sooner had receiued an ill motion, but she deliuered it to her husband; so they should no sooner receiue good, then they should impart it.

Manoah (like one which in those lend times had not lost his ac­quaintance with God) so soone as hee heares the newes, falls downe vpon his knees: I do not hear him call forth and addresse his seruants to all the coasts of heauen (as the children of the prophets did in the search of Elias) to finde out the messenger; but I see him rather looke straight vp, to that GOD [Page 196] which sent him; My Lord, I pray thee let that man of God come again. As a straight line is the shortest, the neerest cutte to any blessing is to goe by heauen; As we may not sue to God, and neglect meanes, so wee must sue to GOD for those meanes which we shall vse.

Whē I see the strength of Ma­noahs faith, I maruell not that hee had a Sampson to his sonne; he saw not the messenger, hee heard not the errand, hee examined not the circumstances; yet now hee takes thought, not whether he shal haue a sonne, but how he shall order the sonne which hee must haue; and sues to God, not for the son which as yet hee had not, but for the di­rection of gouerning him, when [Page 197] he should be. Zachariah heard the same message, & crauing a signe, lost that voice wherwith he craued it: Manoah seekes no signe for the promise, but counsell for himselfe; and yet, that Angel spake to Za­chary himselfe, this onely to the wife of Manoah; that, in the Tem­ple like a glorious spirit; this, in the house, or fielde, like some Prophet, or Traueller; that to a Priest, this to a woman. All good men haue not equall measures of faith; The bodies of men haue not more differences of stature, then their graces: Credulity to men is faulty and dangerous; but in the matters of GOD, is the greatest vertue of a Christian; Happy are they that haue not seene, yet belie­ued: True faith takes all for gran­ted, [Page 198] yea for performed, vvhich is once promised.

Hee that before sent his Angel vnasked, will much more send him againe, vpon intreatie; those hea­uenly messengers are readie both to obey their Maker, and to re­lieue his children. Neuer any man prayed for direction in his duties to God, and was repulsed: rather will God send an Angel from hea­uen to instruct vs, then our good desires shall be frustrate.

Manoah prayed, the Angel ap­peared againe; not to him, but to his wife. It had been the shorter way, to haue come first to the man whose prayers procured his pre­sence: But as Manoah went direct­lie, [Page 199] and immediatly to GOD, so God comes mediatly & about to him; and will make her the meanes to beare the message to her hus­band, who must beare him the sonne: Both the blessing and the charge are chiefely meant to her. It was a good care of Manoah, whē the Angel had giuen order to his wife alone, for the gouerning of the childs diet, to profer himselfe to this charge; How shall we order the child? As both the Parents haue their part in the being of their children, so should they haue in their education; it is both vnrea­sonable and vnnaturall in hus­bands, to cast this burden vpon the weaker vessel alone: it is no reason that she which alone hath had the paine of their birth, should haue [Page 200] the pain of their breeding. Thogh the charge be renued to the wife, yet the speech is directed to the husband; the act must be hers, his must be the ouer-sight; Let her ob­serue all that I haue commanded her. The head must ouer-look the bo­dy; it is the duty of the husband to be carefull that the wife do her dutie to GOD.

As yet, Manoah saw nothing but the out-side of a man, and therfore offers the Angel an answerable entertainment, wherein there is at once Hospitality and Thankful­ness. No man shal bring him good newes from GOD, and goe away vnrecompenced; How forward he is to feast him, whom hee tooke for a Prophet: their feet should be [Page 201] so much more beautifull, that bring vs newes of saluation, by how much their errand is better.

That Manoah might learn to ac­knowledge God in this man, hee sets off the proffer of his thank­fulnes from himselfe, to God; and (as the same Angel which appea­red to Gideon) turnes his feast into a sacrifice: And now he is Mano­ahs solicitor to better thanks than hee offered. How forward the good Angels are to incite vs vnto pietie! Either this was the Sonne himself, which said It was his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will, or else one of his spirituall atten­dance of the same diet. Wee can neuer feast the Angels better, then with our harty sacrifices to God; [Page 202] Why do not we learne this lesson of them, whom wee propound to our selues as the patterns of our o­bedience? We shall be once like the Angels in condition, why are wee not in the meane time in our dispositions? If wee doe not pro­uoke, and exhort one another to godlinesse, and doe care more for a feast, then a sacrifice, our appe­tite is not Angelicall, but brutish.

It was an honest minde in Ma­noah, whiles hee was addressing a sacrifice to God, yet not to neg­lect his messenger; faine would he know whom to honour; True pietie is not vnciuill, but whiles it magnifies the authour of all bles­sings, is thankfull to the meanes: Secondary causes are woorthy of [Page 203] regard: neither need it detract any thing from the praise of the agent, to honor the instrument. It is not onely rudeness, but iniustice in those, which can bee content to heare good newes from God, with contempt of the bearers.

The Angell wil neither take nor giue, but conceales his very name from Manoah. All honest motions are not fit to be yeelded to; good intentions are not alwayes suffici­ent grounds of condiscent. If wee doe somtimes aske what we know not, it is no maruell if wee receiue not what wee aske. In some cases, the Angel of God tells his name vnasked, as Gabriel to the Virgin; heere, not by intreaty: If it were the Angel of the couenant, he had [Page 204] as yet no name but Iehouah; if a created Angel, hee had no com­mission to tell his name; & a faith­ful messenger hath not a word be­yond his charge: Besides that, hee saw it would bee of more vse for Manoah, to know him really, then by words. Oh the bold presump­tion of those men, which (as if they had long soiourned in hea­uen, and been acquainted with all the holy Legions of spirits) dis­course of their orders; of their ti­tles, when this one Angels stoppes the mouth of a better man then they, with Why doost thou aske after my name, which is secret? Secret things to God; reuealed, to vs and our children. No word can be so significant as actions; The act of the Angel tels best who hee was; [Page 205] Hee did wonderfully: wonderfull therefore was his name. So soon as euer the flame of the sacrifice as­cended, hee mounted vp in the smoke of it; that Manoah might see the sacrifice, and the messenger belonged both to one God; and might know, both whence to ac­knowledge the message, and whence to expect the perfor­mance.

Gideons Angel vanished at his sacrifice, but this in the sacrifice; that Manoah might at once see both the confirmation of his pro­mise, and the acceptation of his obedience, whiles the Angel of God vouchsafed to perfume him­selfe with that holy smoke, & carry the sent of it vp into heauē. Mano­ah [Page 206] belieued before, and craued no signe to assure him; God volun­tarily confirmes it to him aboue his desire: To him that hath, shall be giuen. Where there are begin­nings of faith, the mercy of GOD will adde perfection.

How doe we thinke Manoah and his wife looked to see this specta­cle? They had not spirit enough left to looke one vpon another: but in steed of looking vp cheere­fully to heauen, they fall downe to the earth, on their faces; as weak eyes are dazeled with that which should comfort them. This is the infirmitie of our nature, to be af­flicted with the causes of our ioy; to be astonished with our confir­mations; to cōceiue death in that [Page 207] vision of God, wherein our life & happiness consists. If this homely sight of the Angell did so con­found good Manoah, what shal be­come of the enemies of God, whē they shall be brought before the glorious Tribunall of the God of Angels?

I maruell not now, that the An­gel appeared both times rather to the wife of Manoah; her faith was the stronger of the two. It falls out sometimes, that the weaker vessel is fuller; and that of more preci­ous liquor: that wife is no helper which is not ready to giue spiritu­all comfort to her husband; The reason was good, and irrefragable, If the Lord were pleased to kill vs, hee would not haue receiued a burnt [Page 208] offring from vs; God will not ac­cept gifts, where he intēds punish­ment, and professes hatred. The sacrifice of the vvicked, is an abo­mination to the Lord: If wee can finde assurance of Gods accepta­tion of our sacrifices, wee may be sure hee loues our persons. If I in­cline to wickednes in my hart, the Lord will not heare mee; but the Lord hath heard mee.

Sampsons marriage.

OF all the Deliuerers of Israel, there is none of whom are reported so many weakenesses, or so many miracles, as of Sampson: The newes which the Angell told of his conception and education, was not more strange, then the newes of his owne choice; hee but sees a daughter of the Philistims, and falls in loue; All this strength beginnes in infirmitie; One maid of the Philistims, ouer-comes that Champion which was giuen to o­uercome the Philistims: Euen hee [Page 210] that was dieted with water, found heat of vnfit desires: As his bodie was strong notwithstanding that fare, so were his passions; without the gift of continencie, a lowe feed may impaire nature, but not inor­dination. To follow nothing but the eye in the choice of his vvife, was a lust vnworthy of a Nazarite; This is to make the sense not a Counsellor, but a Tyran.

Yet was Sampson in this verie impotencie, dutifull; Hee did not in the presumption of his strength rauish her forceably; Hee did not make vp a clandestine match with­out consulting his Parents, but he makes sute to them for consent; Giue mee her to wife: As one that could be master of his owne act, [Page 211] tho not of his passion; and as one that had learned so to be a sutor, as not to forget himselfe to bee a sonne. Euen in this deplored state of Israel, children durst not pre­sume to be their own caruers; how much less is this tolerable in a wel­guided and Christian Common­wealth? Whosoeuer now dispose of themselues without their Pa­rents, they doe wilfully vn-child themselues, and change naturall affection for violent.

It is no maruell if Manoah and his wife were astonished at this vn­equall motion of their son; Did not the Angell (thought they) tell vs that this child should be conse­crated to God, and must he begin his youth in vnholy wedlock? Did [Page 212] not the Angel say that our sonne should beginne to saue Israel from the Philistims, and is he now cap­tiued in his affections by a daugh­ter of the Philistims? Shall our de­liuerance from the Philistims be­ginne in an alliance? Haue we bin so scrupulously carefull, that hee should eate no vncleane thing, & shall wee now consent to an hea­thenish match? Now therefore they grauely indeauour to coole this intemperate heat of his passi­on, with good counsell; as those which well knew the inconueni­ences of an vnequall yoke; cor­ruption in religion, alienation of affections, distraction of thoughts, conniuence at Idolatry, death of zeale, dangerous vnderminings, and lastly, an vnholy seed: Who [Page 213] can blame them if they were vn­willing to call a Philistim, daugh­ter?

I wish Manoah could speake so loud that all our Israelites might heare him; Is there neuer a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all Gods people, that thou goest to take a wife of the vncircum­cised Philistims? If religion be any other then a cypher, how dare we not regard it in our most impor­tant choice? Is shee a faire Phili­stim? Why is not this deformitie of the soule more powerfull to dis­swade vs, then the beautie of the face, or of metall to allure vs? To dote vpon a faire skinne when we see a Philistim vnder it, is sensuall and brutish.

[Page 214] Affection is not more blind, thē deafe. In vaine doe the Parents seeke to alter a young man, not more strong in body, then in will; Tho he cannot defend his desires, yet he pursues them; Get mee her, for she pleases mee. And although it must needs be a weake motion that can plead no reason, but ap­petite; yet the good Parents, sith they cannot bow the affection of their sonne with perswasion, dare not breake it with violence. As it becomes not children to bee for­ward in their choice; so Parents may not be too peremptorie in their denial; It is not safe for chil­dren to ouer-runne Parents in set­ling their affections; nor for Pa­rents (where the impediments are not very materiall) to come short [Page 215] of their children, when the affecti­ons are once settled: The one is disobedience; the other may be tyranny.

I know not whether I may ex­cuse either Sampson in making this sute, or his Parents in yeelding to it, by a diuine dispensation in both: For on the one side, whiles the spi­rit of God notes, that as yet his pa­rents knew not this was of the Lord, it may seeme that hee knew it; and is it likely hee would know and not impart it? This alone was enough to win, yea to command his Parents; It is not mine eye one­ly, but the counsell of God, that leades me to this choice; The way to quarrell with the Philistims, is to match with them; If I follow mine [Page 216] affection, mine affection followes God, in this proiect. Surely, hee that commaunded his Prophet af­terwards to marry an harlot, may haue appointed his Nazarite to marry with a Philistim: On the o­ther side, whether it were of God permitting, or allowing, I find not; It might so be of God, as all the e­uill in the Citie; and then the in­terposition of Gods decree, shall be no excuse of Sampsons infirmi­tie. I would rather think, that God meant onely to make a Treacle of a Viper; and rather appointed to fetch good out of Sampsons euill, then to approue that for good in Sampson, which in it selfe was euil.

When Sampson went on woo­ing, he might haue made the slug­gards [Page 217] excuse, There is a Lion in the way: but he that could not be stai­ed by perswasion, will not by fear. A Lion, young, wilde, fierce, hun­gry, comes roring vpon him when hee had no weapon but his hand, no fence but his strength; the same Prouidence that carried him to Timnah, brought the Lion to him. It hath been euer the fashion of God, to exercise his Champions with some initiatory incounters: Both Sampson & Dauid must first fight with Lions, then with Phili­stims; & he whose type they bore, meets with that roring Lion of the wildernesse, in the very threshold of his publique charge. The same hand that prepared a Lion for Sampson, hath proportionable matches for euery Christian; God [Page 218] neuer giues strength, but hee im­ployes it: Pouerty, meets one like an armed man; Infamy, like some furious mastiue, comes flying in the face of another; the wild Bore out of the forrest, or the bloudie Tyger of persecution sets vpon one; the brawling curres of here­ticall prauitie or cōtentious neigh­bourhood, are ready to bait ano­ther: and by all these meaner and brutish aduersaries, wil God fit vs for greater conflicts: It is a pledge of our future victory ouer the spi­rituall Philistims, if we can say, My soule hath been among Lions. Come forth now thou weak Chri­stian, and behold this preparatorie battel of Sampson; Dost thou think GOD deales hardly with thee in matching thee so hard, and calling [Page 219] thee forth to so many fraies? What doost thou but repine at thine own glory? How shouldst thou be vic­torious, without resistance?

If the Parents of Sampson had now stood behind the hedge and seene this incounter, they vvould haue taken no further care of mat­ching their sonne with a Philistim; For who that should see a strong Lion ramping vpon an vnarmed man, would hope for his life and victory? The beast came bristling vp his fearefull mane, wafting his raised sterne, his eyes sparkling with furie, his mouth roaring out knells of his last passage, and brea­thing death from his nostrills, and now reioyced at so faire a prey. Surely, if the Lion had had no o­ther [Page 220] aduersary then him whom he saw, hee had not lost his hope; but now he could not see that his Ma­ker was his enemy; The spirit of the Lord came vpon Sampson; What is a beast in the hand of the Creator? He that strooke the Lions with the awe of Adam, Noah, and Daniel, subdued this rebellious beast to Sampson; VVhat maruell is it, if Sampson now tore him, as if it had bin a young Kid? If his bones had been brasse, and his skin plates of iron, all had been one: The right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass.

If that roring Lion, that goes a­bout continually seeking whom he may deuour, find vs alone among the vineyards of the Philistims, [Page 221] where is our hope? Not in our heeles; hee is swifter then we: not in our weapons; we are naturally vnarmed: not in our hands, which are weak and languishing; but in the spirit of that GOD, by whom we can do all things: if God fight in vs, who can resist him? There is a stronger Lion in vs, then that a­gainst vs.

Sampson was not more valiant then modest; hee made no words of this great exploit: the greatest performers euer make the least noyse; He that works wonders a­lone, could say, See thou tell no man; where as those, whose hands are most impotent, are busiest of their tongues. Great talkers show that they desire only to be thought [Page 222] eminent, whereas the deepest wa­ters are least heard.

But, whiles he concealed this e­uent from others, hee pondred it in himselfe; and when hee retur­ned to Timnath, went out of the way to see his dead Aduersary, and could not but recal to himselfe his danger, and deliuerance; Heere the beast met me, thus he fought, thus I slew him. The very dead Li­on taught Sampson thankfulnesse: there was more hony in this thought, then in the carcasse. The mercies of GOD are ill bestowed vpon vs, if we cannot steppe aside to view the monuments of his de­liuerances; Dangers may bee at once past, & forgotten. As Samp­son had not found his hony-comb, [Page 223] if he had not turned aside to see his Lion; so we shall lose the comfort of Gods benefits, if we doe not re­nue our perills by meditation.

Least any thing should befall Sampson, wherein is not some won­der, his Lion doth more amaze him dead, then aliue; For loe, that car­casse is made an Hiue; & the bit­ternesse of death, is turned into the sweetness of hony. The Bee, a nice & dainty creature, builds her cells in an vnsauory carcasse; the carcass that promised nothing but strength, and annoyance, now of­fers comfort & refreshing; and in a sort, payes Sampson for the wrong offered. Oh the wonderfull good­nes of our GOD, that can change our terrors into pleasure, and can [Page 224] make the greatest euils benefici­all! Is any man, by his humiliation vnder the hand of GOD, growne more faithfull, and conscionable? there is hony out of the Lion. Is a­ny man by his temptation or fall become more circumspect? there also is hony out of the Lion: there is no Sampson to whom euery Li­on dooth not yeeld hony: Euerie Christian is the better for his euils; yea, Satan himselfe, in his exercise of Gods children, aduantageth them.

Sampson doth not disdaine these sweets, because he finds them vn­cleanly layd; His diet was strict, and forbad him any thing that sa­uour'd of legall impurity; yet hee eates the hony-combe out of the [Page 225] belly of a dead beast; Good may not be refused, because the means are accidentally euil; Hony is ho­ny still, tho in a dead Lion. Those are lesse wise, and more scrupulous then Sampson, which abhorre the graces of God, because they finde them in ill vessels: One cares not for the Preachers true doctrine, because his life is euill; Another will not take a good receit from the hand of a Physitian, because he is giuen to vnlawfull studies; A 3 ^d, wil not receiue a deserued contri­bution from the hands of a Vsurer. It is a weak neglect not to take the hony, because we hate the Lion: Gods children haue right to their fathers blessings, wheresoeuer they finde them.

[Page 226] The match is now made; Samp­son (tho a Nazarite) hath both a wedding, and afeast; God neuer misliked moderate solemnities in the seuerest life; and yet this Bri­dall-feast was long, the space of seuen daies. If Sampson had mat­ched with the best Israelite, this celebration had been no greater; neither had this perhaps been so long, if the custome of the place had not required it. Now I doe not heare him pleade his Nazari­tisme, for a colour of singularitie: It is both lawfull and fit, in things not prohibited, to conforme our selues to the manners and rites of those with whom we liue.

That Sampson might think it an honour to match with the Phili­stims, [Page 227] hee whom before the Lion found alone, is now accompanied with thirty attendants; They cal­led them companions, but they meant them for spies: The curte­sies of the world are hollow and and thanklesse; neither doth it e­uer purpose so ill, as when it showes fairest. None are so neere to danger, as those whom it enter­tains with smiles; whiles it frownes, wee knowe what to trust to; but the fauours of it are worthy of no­thing but feares & suspicion: O­pen defiance is better then false loue.

Austeritie had not made Samp­son vnciuill; hee knowes how to entertaine Philistims with a for­mall familiaritie: And that his in­tellectuall [Page 228] parts might be appro­ued answerable to his armes, hee will first try maisteries of wit, and set their braines on worke vvith harmless thoughts; His riddle shal appose them, and a deepe wager shall hinde the solution; Thirtie shirts, and thirty sutes of raymem; neither their losse, nor their gaine could be much, besides the victo­ry, beeing diuided vnto thirtie partners: but Sampsons must needs bee both waies very large, vvho must giue or receiue thirty alone. The seauen dayes of the feast are expiring, and yet they which had been all this while deuouring of Sampsons meat, cannot tell who that cater should be from whence meat shold come. In course of na­ture, the strong feeder takes-in [Page 229] meat, and sends out filthiness; but, that meat and sweetnesse should come from a deuouring stomack, was beyond their apprehension.

And as fooles and dogges vse to beginne in iest, and end in earnest, so did these Philistims; and there­fore they force the Bride to intice her husband to betray himselfe. Couetousnes & Pride haue made them impatient of loss: and now they threat to fire her, and her fa­thers house, for recompence of their entertainment, rather then they will lose a small wager to an Israelite. Some-what of kinne to these sauage Philistims, are those cholerick Gamesters, which if the dice bee not their friend, fall out with GOD, curse (that which is [Page 230] not) Fortune; strike their fellowes, and are ready to take vengeance vpon themselues: Those men are vnfit for sport, that lose their pati­ence together with their wager.

I do not wonder that a Philistim woman loued herselfe and her fa­thers family, more then an Israeli­tish Bride-groome; and if shee be­stowed teares vpon her husband, for the ransome of them. Sampson himselfe taught her this difference, I haue not told it my father or my mother, and should I tell it thee? If she had not been as shee was, fhee had neither done this to Sampson, nor heard this from him; Matri­moniall respects are dearer then naturall; It was the law of him that ordained marriage (before euer [Page 231] Parents were) that Parents should bee forsaken, for the husband or wife: But now, Israelitish Parents are woorthy of more intirenesse, then a wife of the Philistims; And yet, whom the Lion could not conquer, the teares of a woman haue conquered. Sampson neuer bewrayed infirmitie but in vxori­ousnes; What assurance can there be of him that hath a Philistim in his bosome? Adam, the perfectest man, Sampson, the strongest man, Salomon, the wisest man, were be­trayed with the flattery of their helpers. As there is no comfort comparable to a faithfull yoke­fellow, so wo be to him that is mat­ched with a Philistim.

[Page 232] It could not but much discōtent Sampson, to see that his aduersaries had plowed with his heifer, & that vpon his own back; now therfore hee payes his wager to their cost. Ascalon the Citie of the Philistims is his wardrobe, he fetches thence thirty sutes, lined with the liues of the owners: Hee might vvith as much ease haue slaine these thirtie companions, which were the Au­thors of this euill; but his promise forbad him whiles he was to clothe their bodies, to vnclothe their soules; and that spirit of GOD, which stird him vp to reuenge, di­rected him in the choice of the subiects. If we wonder to see thir­tie throates cut for their sutes, wee may easily know, that this was but the occasion of that slaughter, [Page 233] whereof the cause was their op­pression, and tyranny. Dauid slew two hundred Philistims for their fore-skinnes: but the ground of his act was their hostilitie. It is iust with God to destine what enemies he pleases, to execution: It is not to be expostulated why this man is striken rather then another, vvhen both are Philistims.

Sampsons victorie.

I Can no more iustifie Sampson in the leauing of his wife, then in the chusing her; He chose her because she pleased him; and because shee despised him, hee left her: Though her feare made her false to him in his Riddle, yet shee was true to his bed; That vveake trechery was worthy of a check, not a desertion. All the passions of Sampson were strong, like himself: but (as vehement motions are not lasting) this vehemēt wind is soone allayd; and hee is now returning [Page 236] with a Kid to winne her that had offended him, and to renue that feast which ended in her vnkind­nesse. Slight occasions may not breake the knot of matrimoniall loue; and if any iust offence haue slackned it on either part, it must be fastned again by speedy recon­ciliation.

Now Sampsons father in law showes himselfe a Philistim, the true Parent of her that betrayed her husband; for no sooner is the Bride-groome departed, then he changes his sonne: what pretence of friendshippe soeuer he made, a true Philistim will soone be wearie of an Israelite. Sampson hath not so many dayes libertie to enioy his wedding, as hee spent in celebra­ting [Page 237] it: Marriage hath been euer a sacred institution, and who but a Philistim would so easily violate it? One of his thirtie companions enioyes his wife, together with his sute; & now laughes to be a part­ner of that bed, whereon hee was an attendant. The good nature of Sampson, hauing forgottē the first wrong, carried him to a proffer of familiarity, and is repulsed; but vvith a gentle violence, I had thought thou hadst hated her. Law­full wedlock may not be dissolued by imaginations, but by proofes.

Who shall stay Sampson from his owne wife? Hee that slew the Lion in the way of his wooing, and before whom thousands of the Philistims could not stand, yet suf­fers [Page 238] himselfe to be resisted, by him that was once his father in law, without any returne of priuate vi­olence.

Great is the force of dutie once conceiued, euen to the most vn­worthy; This thought, I was his sonne, bindes the hands of Samp­son: Else how easily might hee that slew those thirty Philistims for their sutes, haue destroyed this fa­milie for his wife? How vnnatural are those mouthes, that can curse the loynes from which they are proceeded; and those hands that dare lift vp themselues against the meanes of their life and being?

I neuer read that Sampson slew any but by the motion and assi­stance [Page 239] of the spirit of GOD: and the Diuine wisedome hath reser­ued these offenders to another re­uenge; Iudgement must descend from others to thē, sith the wrong proceeded from others, by them. In the very marriage God foresaw and intended this parting, and in the parting this punishment vpon the Philistims. If the Philistims had not bin as much enemies to God, as to Sampson; enemies to Israel in their oppression, no lesse then to Sampson, in this particular iniurie, that purpose and execution of re­uenge, had been no better then wicked: Now he to whom venge­ance belongs, sets him on worke, and makes the act iustice: when he commaunds, euen very crueltie is obedience.

[Page 240] It was a busie and troublesome proiect of Sampson, to vse the foxes for his reuenge: for not without great labour & many hands could so many wilde creatures be gotte together, neither could the wit of Sampson want other deuises of ho­stilitie; But he meant to finde out such a punishmēt, as might in som sort answere the offence, & might imply as much contempt, as tres­passe. By wiles, seconded with vi­olence, had they wronged Samp­son, in extorting his secret, and ta­king away his wife: & what other Embleme could these foxes tied together present vnto them, then wiliness combined by force, to worke mischiefe?

[Page 241] These foxes destroy their corn, before he which sent them, destroy the persons. Those iudgements which beginne in outward things, end in the owners; A stranger that had been of neither side, vvould haue said, What pitty it is to see good corn thus spoiled: If the cre­ature be considered apart frō the owners, it is good; and therefore if it be mis-spent, the abuse re­flects vpon the maker of it; but if it be looked vpon, with respect to an ill master, the best vse of it, is to perish. He therefore that slew the Egyptian cattell with murrain, & smote their fruit with haile-stones; hee that consumed the vines of Is­rael with the Palmer-worme, and Caterpiller, and Canker-worme; sent also foxes by the hand of [Page 242] Sampson, into the fields of the Phi­listims. Their corne was too good for them to enioy, not too good for the foxes to burn vp; God had rather his creature should perish any way, then serue for the lust of the wicked.

There could not be such secrecy in the catching of three hundred foxes, but it might well be knowne who had procured them: Rumor will swiftly fly of things not done: but of a thing so notoriously exe­cuted, it is no maruell if Fame be a blab. The mention of the offence drawes in the prouocation: & now the wrong to Sampson is scanned & reuenged; Because the fieldes of the Philistims, are burned for the wrong done to Sampson by the [Page 243] Timnite in his daughter, therefore the Philistims burne the Timnite & his daughter. The tying of the fire­brand between two foxes, was not so witty a policy, as the setting of a fire of dissension betwixt the Phi­listims: What need Sampson be his owne executioner, when his ene­mies will vndertake that charge? There can be no more pleasing prospect to an Israelite, then to see the Philistims together by the eares.

If the vvife of Sampson had not feared the fire for herselfe, and her fathers house, she had not betray­ed her husband, her husband had not thus plagued the Philistims, the Philistims had not consumed her and her father with fire: now shee [Page 244] leapes into that flame which shee meant to auoid. That euill which the wicked feared, meets them in their flight: How many in a feare of pouerty, seeke to gaine vncon­scionably, and die beggers? How many to shunne paine and danger haue yeelded to euill, and in the long runne haue been met in the teeth with that mischiefe which they had hoped to haue left be­hind them? How many, in a desire to eschue the shame of men, haue fallen into the confusion of God? Both good and euill are sure pay­masters at the last.

Hee that was so soone pacified towards his wife, could not but haue thought this reuenge more then enough, if he had not rather [Page 245] wielded Gods quarrell then his owne; He knew that GOD had raised him vp on purpose, to be a scourge to the Philistims, whom as yet he had angred more then pu­nished: As if these therefore had been but florishes before the fray, he stirres vp his courage, & strikes them both hip and thigh, vvith a mighty plague. That God vvhich can do nothing imperfecty, where he begins either mercy or iudge­ment, will not leaue till hee haue happily finished: As it is in his fa­uours, so in his punishments; One stroke drawes on another.

The Israelites were but slaues, & the Philistims were their masters: so much more indignely threfore must they needs take it, to be thus [Page 246] affronted by one of their owne vassals: yet shall we commend the moderation of these Pagans; Sampson, beeing not mortally wronged by one Philistim, falls foule vpon the whole Nation; the Philistims hainously offended by Sampson, doe not fall vpon the whole Tribe of Iudah, but being mustered together, call to them for satisfaction from the person offending: the same hand of God which wrought Sampson to reuēge, restrained them from it; It is no thanke to themselues, that some­times wicked men cannot bee cruell.

The men of Iudah, are by their fear made friends to their Tyrans, & traytors to their friend; it was in [Page 247] their cause that Sampson had shed bloud, and yet they conspire with [...]he Philistims, to destroy their own flesh and bloud. So shal the Phili­stims be quit with Israel, that as Sampson by Philistims, reuenged himself of Philistims; so they of an Israelite, by the hand of Israelites. That which open enemies dare not attempt, they worke by false brethren; and these are so much more perilous, as they are more entire.

It had been no lesse easie for Sampson to haue slaine those thou­sands of Iudah that came to binde him, then those other of the Phili­stims, that meant to kill him bound: And what if he had said; Are yee turnd Traytors to your [Page 248] Deliuerer? your bloud bee vpon your owne heads. But the spirit of God (without whom he could not kill either beast, or man) would neuer stirre him vp to kill his bre­thren, tho degenerated into Phi­listims; they haue more power to binde him, then hee to kill them: Israelitish bloud was precious to him, that made no more scruple of killing a Philistim, then a Lion: That bondage and vsury that was allowed to a Iew from a Pagan, might not bee exacted from a Iew.

The Philistims that had before plowed with Sampsons heifer in the case of the Riddle, are now plow­ing a worse furrow with an heifer more his owne. I am ashamed to [Page 249] heare these cowardly Iewes say, Knowst thou not that the Philistims are Lords ouer vs? Why hast thou done thus vnto vs? We are therefore come to binde thee: Whereas they should haue said; Wee find these tyrannicall Philistims to vsurp do­minion ouer vs; thou hast happily begun to shake off their yoke, and now wee are come to second thee with our seruice; the valor of such a Captain shall easily lead vs forth to liberty; We are ready either to die with thee, or to be freed by thee: A fearefull man can neuer be a true friend; rather then incur any danger, hee will be false to his owne soule. Oh cruell mercie of these men of Iuda! We will not kill thee, but we will bind thee, and deli­uer thee to the hands of the Phili­stims, [Page 250] that they may kill thee. As if it had not been much worse to die an ignominious and tormenting death, by the hands of Philistims, then to bee at once dispatcht by them, which wisht either his life safe, or his death easie.

When Saul was pursued by the Philistims vpon the mountaines of Gilboa, he could say to his Armor­bearer, Draw forth thy sword, and kill mee, least the vncircumcised come and thrust me thorough, & mock mee; and at last, would ra­ther fall vpon his own sword, then theirs: And yet these cosins of Sampson, can say, Wee will not kill thee, but we will bind thee, & deliuer thee. It was no excuse to these Is­raelites, that Sampsons binding had [Page 251] more hope, then his death; It was more in the extraordinary mercie of God, then their will, that he was not tyed with his last bonds: Such is the goodness of the Almightie, that he turnes the cruell intentions of wicked men to an aduantage.

Now these Iewes that might haue let thēselues loose from their owne bondage, are binding their Deliuerer, whom yet they knew able to haue resisted. In the grea­test strength, there is vse of pati­ence; There was more fortitude in this suffering, then in his former actions; Sampson abides to be tied by his owne countrymen, that hee may haue the glory of freeing him selfe victoriously. Euen so, O Sa­uiour, our better Nazarite, thou [Page 252] which couldst haue called to thy Father, and haue had twelue legi­ons of Angels for thy rescue, wouldst be bound voluntarily, that thou mightst triumph; So the bles­sed Martyrs were racked, & would not be losed, because they expec­ted a better resurrection: If we be not as well ready to suffer ill, as to doe good, wee are not fit for the consecration of God.

To see Sampson thus strongly manicled, and exposed to their full reuenge, could not but bee a glad spectacle to these Philistims; & their ioy was so full, that it could not but flie forth of their mouthes in shouting and laughter; whom they saw loose with terror, it is plea­sure to see bound. Is is the sport of [Page 253] the spirituall Philistims, to see any of Gods Nazarites fettered with the cords of iniquitie; and their Imps are ready to say, Aha, so would wee haue it. But the euent answers their false ioy, with that clause of triumph, Reioyce not ouer me, O mine enemy: tho J fall, yet I shall rise againe. How soone vvas the countenance of these Phili­stims changed, and their shouts turn'd into shriekings? The spirit of the Lord came vpon Sampson, and then, what are cords to the Al­mighty? His new bonds are as flax burnt with fire; and he rouzes vp himselfe, like that young Lion whom he first incountred, & flyes vpon those cowardly aduersaries, who if they had not seen his cords, durst not haue seene his face. If [Page 254] they had been so many diuels, as men, they could not haue stood before that spirit, which lifted vp the hart & hand of Sampson. Wic­ked men neuer see fairer prospect, then when they are vpon the verie threshold of destruction; Securi­tie and Ruine, are so close borde­ring vpon each other, that where we see the face of the one, we may be sure the other is at his backe. Thus didst thou, O blessed Saui­our, when thou wert fastned to the Crosse, when thou layest bound in the graue with the cords of death; thus didst thou miraculous­ly raise vp thy selfe, and vanquish thine enemies, and lead captiuitie captiue; Thus do all thy holy ones when they seem most forsaken, & laid open to the insultation of the [Page 255] world, finde thy spirit mightie to their deliuerance, and the discom­fiture of their malicious aduersa­ries.

Those three thousand Israelites were not so ill aduised, as to come vp into the rock vnweaponed, to apprehend Sampson; Sampson ther­fore might haue had his choice of swords, or speares, for this skir­mish with the Philistims; yet hee leaues all the munition of Israel, & finding the new iaw-bone of an Asse, takes that vp in his hand, and with that base instrument of death, sends 1000 Philistimes to their place. All the swords and shields of the armed Philistims, cannot re­sist that contemptible Engine, which hath novv left a thousand [Page 256] bodies, as dead as the carcasse of that beast, whose bone it was. This victory was not in the weapon, was not in the arme: it was in the spi­rit of God, which moued the wea­pon in the arme. O God, if the meanes bee weake, yet thou art strong: Through God we shal do great acts; Yea, I can do all things through him that strengtheneth me. Seest thou a poore Christian, which by weake counsell hath ob­tained to ouercome a tentation, there is the Philistim vanquisht with a sory iaw-bone.

It is no maruell, if he were thus admirably strong, and victorious, whose bodily strength God meant to make a type of the spirituall power of Christ: And behold, as [Page 257] the three thousands of Iuda stood still gazing with their weapons in their hands, while Sampson alone subdued the Philistims; so did men and Angels stand looking vpon the glorious atchieuements of the Sonne of God, who might iustlie say, I haue trode the wine-presse a­lone.

Both the Sampsons complained of thirst; The same GOD which gaue his Champion victory, gaue him also refreshing; and by the same meanes; The same bone yeelds him both conquest, & life; and is of a weapon of offence, tur­ned into a vvell of water: He that fetcht water out of the flint for Is­rael, fetches it out of a bone for Sampson. What is not possible to [Page 258] the infinite power of that Almigh­tie Creator, that made all things of nothing? He can giue Sampson hony from the mouth of the Lion, and water from the mouth of the Asse. Who would not cheerfully depend vpon that God, which can fetch moisture out of drinesse, and life out of death?

Sampsons End.

I Cannot wonder more at Sampsons strength then his weakenesse; He that beganne to cast away his loue vpon a wife of the Philistims, goes on to misspend himselfe vp­on the harlots of the Philistims: Hee that did not so much ouer­come the men, as the women o­uercome him. His affections blin­ded him first, ere the Philistims could doe it: would he else, after the effusion of so much of their bloud, haue suffered his lust to car­ry him within their walls, as one [Page 260] that cared more for his pleasure, then his life? Oh strange debau­chednesse, and presumption of a Nazarite: The Philistims are vp in Armes to kill him; he offers him­selfe to their Citie, to their stewes, and dares expose his life to one of their harlots, whō hee had slaugh­tered. I would haue looked to haue seen him betake himselfe to his stronger rock, then that of E­tam, and by his austere deuotion, to seeke protection of him, of whom he receiued strength: but now, as if hee had forgotten his consecration, I finde him turnd Philistim for his bed, and of a Na­zarite, scarce a man. In vain doth hee nourish his haire, whiles hee feedes these passions. How vsual­ly doe vigor of body, and infirmi­tie [Page 261] of minde lodge vnder one roofe? On the contrary, a wearish out-side is a strong motiue to mortification: Sampsons victories haue subdued him, & haue made him first a slaue to leud desires, & then to the Philistims. I may safe­ly say, that more vessels miscarrie with a faire gale, then with a tem­pest.

Yet was not Sampson so blinded with lust, as not at all to looke be­fore him; he foresaw the morning would be dangerous, the bed of his fornication therefore could hold him no longer thē midnight; then he rises, & in a mock of those ambushes which the Azabites laid for him, he carries away the gates wherein they thought to haue in­caged [Page 262] him. If a temptation haue drawn vs aside, to lie down to sin, it is happy for vs if we can arise ere wee be surprised with iudgement. Sampson had not left his strength in the bed of an harlot; neither had that God which gaue it him, stript him of it with his clothes, when he layd him down in vncleanenesse: His mercy vses not to take van­tage of our vnwoorthinesse, but e­uen when we cast him off, holds vs fast. That bountifull hand leaues vs rich of common graces, when we haue mis-spent our better store: Like as our first Parents, when they had spoiled themselues of the image of their Creator, yet were left vvealthie of noble faculties of the soule.

[Page 263] I finde Sampson come off from his sinne with safety; he runnes a­way lightly with an heauier weight then the gates of Azzah, the bur­den of an ill act. Present impunity argues not an abatement of the wickedness of his sinne, or of the dislike of God; nothing is so wor­thy of pitty, as a sinners peace: Good is not therefore good be­cause it prospers, but because it is commaunded; Euill is not euil be­cause it is punished, but because it is forbidden.

If the holy Parents of Sampson, liued to see these outrages of their Nazarite, I doubt whether they did not repent them of their ioy [...]o heare newes of a sonne. It is a [...]hame to see how hee that might [Page 264] not drinke wine, is drunk with the cup of fornications; His lust car­ries him from Azzah to the plain of Sorek, & now hath found a Dali­lah, that shall pay him for all his former vncleaneness. Sin is steepe and slippery; and if after one fall we haue found where to stand, it is the praise, not of our footing, but of the hand of God.

The Princes of the Philistims knew already where Sampsons weakeness lay, though not his strength; and therfore they would entise his harlot by gifts, to entise him by her daliance, to betray him selfe. It is no maruell, if shee which would be filthy, wold be also per­fidious. How could Sampson chuse but thinke, if lust had not be­witched [Page 265] him, Shee whose bodie is mercenary to mee, will easily sell me to others; Shee will be false, if she will be an harlot? A wide con­science will swallow any sin: Those that haue once thrall'd themselues to a known euill, can make no o­ther difference of sinnes, but their owne losse, or aduantage: A lyer wil steale; a theefe can kil; a cruell man can be a Traytor; a drunkard can falsifie; wickednesse once en­tertained, can put on any shape: Trust him in nothing, that makes not a conscience of euery thing.

VVas there euer such another motion made to a reasonable man? Tell me wherein thy great strength li­eth, & wherwith thou maist be bound to doe thee hurt. VVho would not [Page 266] haue spurned such a sutor out of doores? What wil not impudency aske, or stupiditie receiue? Hee that killed the thousand Philistims for cōming to binde him, indures this harlot of the Philistims to con­sult with himselfe of binding him; and when vpon the triall of a false answer, hee saw so apparent tre­chery, yet wilfully betrayes his life by her, to his enemies: All sinnes, all passions haue power to infatu­ate a man; but lust most of all. Ne­uer man that had drunke flagons of wine, had lesse reason, then this Nazarite; Many a one loses his life: but this casts it away; not in hatred of himselfe, but in loue to a strumpet. We wonder that a man could possibly be so sottish, & yet we our selues by tentation becom [Page 267] no lesse insensate; Sinful pleasures like a common Dalilah, lodge in our bosoms, we knowe they aime at nothing but the death of our soule; we wil yeeld to them, & die: Euery willing sinner is a Sampson; let vs not inuey against his sense­lesnes, but our owne: Nothing is so grosse & vnreasonable to a well disposed minde, which tentation will not represent fit, and plausible: No soule can out of his owne strength, secure himselfe from that sin which he most detesteth.

As an hood-winkt man sees som little glimmering of light, but not enough to guide him; so did Samp­son, who had reason enough left him to make triall of Dalilah, by a crafty mis-information; but not e­nough [Page 268] vpon that tryall, to distrust, and hate her; hee had not wit e­nough to deceiue her thrise; not e­nough to keepe himselfe from be­ing deceiued by her. It is not so great wisedom to proue thē whom wee distrust, as it is folly to trust them whom wee haue found tre­cherous: Thrise had he seene the Philistims in her chamber, ready to susprise him, vpon her bonds; and yet will needs be a slaue to his Traytor. Warning not taken, is a certaine presage of destruction; and if once neglected it receiue pardon, yet thrise is desperate.

VVhat man would euer play thus with his owne ruine? His har­lot bindes him, and calls-in her ex­ecutioners to cut his throat; hee [Page 269] rises to saue his owne life, and suf­fers them to carry away theirs, in peace. Where is the courage of Sampson? Where his zeale? Hee that killed the Philistims for their clothes; Hee that slew a thousand of them in the field at once; in this quarrell, now suffers them in his chamber vnreuenged. Whence is this? His hands were strong, but his hart was effeminate; his harlot had diuerted his affection. Who­soeuer slackens the raines to his sensuall appetite, shall soone grow vnfitte for the calling of GOD. Sampson hath broke the greene withies, the new ropes, the woofe of his haire, & yet still suffers him­selfe fettered with those inuisible bonds of an harlots loue; and can indure her to say, How canst thou [Page 270] say, I loue thee, when thy hart is not with mee; thou hast mocked me these three times: Wheras he should ra­ther haue said to her; How canst thou challenge any loue from me, that hast this thrise sought my life? Or canst thou thinke my mocks a sufficient reuenge of this treche­rie? But contrarily, he melts at this fire; and by her importunate insi­nuations, is wrought against him­selfe. Wearinesse of solicitation, hath won some to those actions, which at the first motion they de­spised; like as wee see some sutors are dispatcht, not for the equity of the cause, but the trouble of the prosccution; because it is more easie to yeelde, not more rea­sonable. It is more safe to keepe our selues out of the noyse of sug­gestions, [Page 271] then to stand vpon our power of deniall.

Who can pitty the losse of that strength which was so abused? who can pitty him the loss of his locks, which after so many warnings can sleepe in the lappe of Dalilah? It is but iust that he should rise vp from thence, shauen and feeble; not a Nazarite, scarce a man. If his strength had lyen in his hair, it had been out of himselfe; it was not therefore in his locks, it was in his consecration, whereof that haire was a signe. If the razor had come sooner vpon his head, he had cea­sed to be a Nazarite; and the gift of God had at once ceased, vvith the calling of GOD; not for the want of that excretion, but for the [Page 272] want of obedience. If God with­drawe his graces, when hee is too much prouoked, who can com­plain of his mercie? He that sleeps in sin, must looke to wake in losse, and weakeness. Could Sampson thinke, Though I tell her my strength lies in my haire, yet shee will not cut it; or though shee doe cut my haire, yet shal I not lose my strength; that now hee rises and shakes himselfe in hope of his for­mer vigor? Custome of successe, makes men confident in their sins, and causes them to mistake an ar­bitrary tenure for a perpetuity.

His eyes were the first offen­ders, which betrayed him to lust: and now they are first pull'd out; and he is ledde a blind captiue to [Page 273] Azzah, where hee was first capti­ued to his lust. The Azzahites, which lately saw him not without terror, running lightly away with their gates at mid-night, see him now in his owne perpetuall night, struggling with his chaines: and that he may not want paine, toge­ther with his bondage, hee must grind in his prison.

As hee passed the street, euery boy of the Philistims could throw stones at him, euery woman could laugh, and shout at him; and what one Philistim doth not say, whiles he lashes him vnto bloud, There is for my brother, or my kinsman, whom thou slewest. Who can look to runne away with a sinne, when Sampson a Nazarite is thus pla­gued? [Page 274] This great hart could not but haue broken with indignati­on, if it had not pacified it selfe with the conscience of the iust de­sert of all this vengeance.

It is better for Sampson to bee blinde in prison, then to abuse his eyes in Sorek: yea, I may safelie say, hee was more blinde when he saw licentiously, then now, that hee sees not; Hee was a greater slaue when hee serued his affecti­ons, then now in grinding for the Philistims. The losse of his eyes showes him his sin; neither could hee see how ill hee had done, till hee saw not.

Euen yet, still the God of mercy lookt vpon the blindness of Samp­son, [Page 275] and in these fetters enlargeth his heart from the worse prison of his sinne; His haire grew together with his repentance, & his strength with his haire. Gods merciful hu­miliations of his owne, are some­times so seuere, that they seeme to differ little from desertions; yet at the worst, he loues vs bleeding: & when we haue smarted enough, wee shall feele it.

VVhat thankfull Idolaters were these Philistims? They could not but knowe, that their bribes, and their Dalilah, had deliuer'd Samp­son to them, and yet they sacrifice to their Dagon; and, as those that would be liberall in casting fauors vpon a senselesse Idol (of vvhom they could receiue none) they cry [Page 276] out, Our God hath deliuered our e­nemy into our hands. Where vvas their Dagon, when a thousand of his clients were slaine with an asses iaw? There was more strength in that bone, then in all the makers of this God; and yet these vaine Pagans say, Our God. It is the qua­litie of Superstition to mis-inter­pret all euents, and to feed it selfe with the conceit of those fauours, which are so farre from beeing done, that their Authors neuer were. Why doe not we learn zeale of Idolaters? And if they be so for­ward in acknowledgemēt of their deliuerances to a false deitie; how cheerefully should we ascribe ours to the true? O God, whatsoeuer be the meanes, thou art the Au­thor of all our successe: Oh that [Page 277] men would praise the Lord for his goodnes, and tell the wonders that he doth for the sonnes of men!

No Musician would serue for this feast, but Sampson; hee must now bee their sport, which was once their terror; that hee might want no sorrow, scorne is added to his miserie: Euery wit, and hand playes vpon him; Who is not readie to cast his bone, and his iest at such a captiue? So as doubtlesse hee wisht himselfe no lesse deafe, then blinde, and that his soule might haue gone out with his eyes. Oppression is able to make a wise man mad: and the greater the courage is, the more painfull the insultation.

[Page 278] Now Sampson is punished, shall the Philistims escape? If the iudge­ment of God beginne at his own, what shall becom of his enemies? This aduantage shal Sampson make of their tyranny, that now death is no punishment to him, his soule shall flie foorth in this bitternesse, without pain; & that his dying re­uenge shal be no less sweet to him, then the liberty of his former life: He could not but feel God mockt through him; and therfore whiles they are scoffing, hee prayes; his seriousness hopes to pay them for all those iests. If he could haue bin thus earnest with God, in his pro­sperity, the Philistims had vvanted this laughing stock: No deuotion is so feruent, as that which arises frō extremity; O Lord God, I pray [Page 279] thee think vpon me; O God I beseech thee strengthen mee at this time onely. Tho Sampsons haire were shorter, yet he knew Gods hand was not; as one therefore that had yet eyes [...]ow to see him that was inuisible, and whose faith was recouered be­fore his strength, hee sues to that God, which was a party in this in­dignitie, for power to reuenge his wrongs, more then his owne: It is zeale that moues him, and not ma­lice; his renued faith tells him, that he was destin'd to plague the Phi­listims: & reason tells him, that his blindnes puts him out of the hope of such another oportunity. Know­ing therefore, that this play of the Philistims must end in his death, he recollects all the forces of his soule and body, that his death may be a [Page 280] punishment in steed of a disport; and that his soule may bee more victorious in the parting, then in the animation: and so addresses himselfe both to die, and kill; as one, whose soule shall not feele his own dissolution, whiles it shal car­ry so many thousand Philistims with it to the pit. All the acts of Sampson are for wonder, not for imitation: So didst thou, O bles­sed Sauiour, our better Sampson, conquer in dying; and triumphing vpon the charriot of the Crosse, didst lead captiuity captiue; The law, sin, death, hell, had neuer bin vanquisht, but by thy death; All our life, liberty, and glory, springs out of thy most precious bloud.

Michaes Idolatrie.

THE mother of Micha hath lost her siluer, and now she falls to cursing: She did afterwards but change the forme of her God; her siluer was her God, ere it did put on the fashion of an Image: Else she had not so much cursed to lose it, if it had not too much possessed her in the keeping. A carnall hart cannot forgoe that wherein it de­lights, without impatience; can­not be impatient, vvithout curses: whereas the man that hath learned to inioy GOD, and vse the world, [Page 282] smiles at a shipwrack, and pitties a theefe, and cannot curse, but pray.

Micha had so little grace, as to steale from his mother; and that out of wantonnesse, not out of ne­cessity; for, if shee had not been rich, so much could not haue been stoln from her; and now, hee hath so much grace as to restore it; her curses haue fetcht again her trea­sures; Hee cannot so much loue the mony, as hee feares her impre­cations; Wealth seemes too deare bought with a curse; Tho his fin­gers were false, yet his heart was tender. Many that make not con­science of committing sinne, yet make conscience of facing it: It is well for them, that they are but [Page 283] nouices in euill; those whom cu­stome hath fleshed in sinne, can ei­ther deny and forfweare, or excuse and defend it: their seared hearts cannot feele the gnawing of any remorse; and their forhead hath learned to be as impudent, as their hart is senseless.

I see no argument of any holi­nesse in the mother of Micha; Her curses were sinne to her selfe, yet Micha dares not but feare them. I knowe not whether the causelesse curse be more worthy of pitty, or derifion; it hurts the author, not his aduersary: but the deserued curses, that fall euen from vnholy mouthes, are worthy to be feared: How much more should a man hold himselfe blasted with the iust [Page 284] imprecations of the godlie? What metall are those made of, that can applaude themselues in the bitter curses which their oppressions haue wrung from the poore, and reioyce in these signes of their prosperity?

Neither yet was Micha more striken with his mothers curses, then with the conscience of sacri­ledge: so soone as he findes there was a purpose of deuotion in this treasure, he dares not conceale it, to the preiudice (as he thought) of GOD, more then of his mother. What shall we say to the palate of those men, which as they finde no good relish but in stoln waters; so best in those, which are stoln from the fountaine of God? How soone [Page 285] hath the old woman changed her note? Euen now she passed an in­definite curse vpon her sonne for stealing; and now shee blesses him absolutely, for restoring, Blessed be my sonne of the Lord. Shee hath forgotten the theft, when shee sees the restitution; How much more shall the God of mercies be more pleased with our confession, then prouoked with our sinne?

I doubt not but this siluer, and this superstition came out of E­gypt, together with the mother of Micha. This history is not so late in time, as in place; for the Tribe of Dan was not yet setled in that first diuision of the promised land; so as this old woman had seen both the Idolatry of Egypt, & the gol­den [Page 286] calfe in the wildernesse; and no doubt contributed some of her earings to that Deity; and after all the plagues which shee saw in­flicted vpon her brethren, for that Idol of Horeb, and Baal-Peor, she stil reserues a secret loue to super­stition, and now showes it. Where mis-religion hath once possessed it selfe of the hart, it is very hardly clensed out; but (like the plague) it will hang in the very clothes, & after long lurking, breake forth in an vnexpected infection; and old wood is the aptest to take this fire: After all the ayring in the Desert, Michaes mother will smell of E­gypt.

It had been better the siluer had been stoln then thus bestowed; for [Page 287] now they haue so imployed it, that it hath stoln away their harts from GOD; and yet, while it is molten into an Image, they thinke it dedi­cated to the Lord; If Religion might be iudged according to the intention, there should scarce be any idolatry in the world. This woman loued her siluer enough; and if shee had not thought this costly piety, worth thanks, shee knew which way to haue imploied her stocke to aduantage: Euen e­uill actions haue oft-times good meanings, and those good mea­nings are answered with euill re­compences; Many a one bestows their cost, their labour, their blood, and receiues torment in steed of thanks.

[Page 288] Behold a superstitious son of a superstitious mother; She makes a God, and hee harbours it; Yea, (as the streame is commonly broa­der then the head) he exceedes his mother in euill: He hath an house of Gods, an Ephod, Teraphin; & that he might be complete in his deuotion, he makes his sonne his Priest, and feoffes that sinne vpon his sonne, which he receiued from his mother. Those sinnes vvhich nature conuayes not to vs, wee haue by imitation; Euery action and gesture of the Parents, is an example to the child; and the mo­ther, as she is more tender ouer her sonne, so by the power of a reci­procall loue, she can worke most vpon his inclination; Whence it is that in the history of the Israelitish [Page 289] Kings, the mothers name is com­monly noted: and as ciuilly, so al­so morally, The birth followes the belly; Those sonnes may blesse their second birth, that are deliue­red from the sinnes of their edu­cation.

Who cannot but thinke how far Micha ouer-lookt all his fellow Is­raelites, and thought them pro­fane and godlesse in comparison of himselfe? How did hee secretly clap himselfe on the breast, as the man, whose happinesse it was to ingross religion from all the tribes of Israel, and little can imagine, that the further hee runs, the more out of the way. Can an Israelite be thus Paganish? O Micha! how hath superstition bewitched thee, [Page 290] that thou canst not see rebellion in euery of these actions, yea in e­uery circumstance, rebellion? What, more Gods then one? An house of Gods, beside Gods house? An Image of siluer to the inuisible GOD? An Ephod, and no Priest? A Priest besides the fa­mily of Leui? A Priest of thine owne begetting, of thine own con­secration? What monsters dooth mans imagination produce when it is forsaken of God? It is wel seen there is no King in Israell; If God had been their King, his lawes had ruled them: If Moses or Ioshua had been their King, their sword had awed them; If any other, the cour­ses of Israel could not haue been so headlesse. We are beholden to Gouernment for order, for peace, [Page 291] for religion; Where there is no King, euery one will bee a King, yea a God to himselfe; VVee are worthy of nothing but confusion, if we blesse not GOD for autho­ritie.

It is no maruell if Leuites wan­dred for maintenance, whiles there was no King in Israel; The tithes and offerings were their due: if these had been paid, none of the holy Tribe needed to shift his sta­tion. Euen vvhere royall power seconds the claime of the Leuite, the iniustice of men shortens his right. What should becom of the Leuites if there were no King? And what of the Church if no Le­uites? No King therefore, no Church; How could the impo­tent [Page 292] childe liue without a Nurse? Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queens thy nurses, saith God. Nothing more argues the disor­der of any Church, or the decay of religion, then the forced stragling of the Leuites. There is hope of growth, when Micha rides to seek a Leuite; but vvhen the Leuite comes to seek a seruice of Micha, it is a signe of gasping deuotion.

Micha was no obscure man; all Mount Ephraim could not but take notice of his domesticall Gods. This Leuite could not but heare of his disposition, of his mis­deuotion; yet vvant of mainte­nance, no lesse then conscience, drawes him on, to the danger of an idolatrous patronage: Holiness is [Page 293] not tyed to any profession; Hap­pie were it for the Church, if the Clergy could be a priuiledge from leudnesse. When need meets with vnconscionableness, all conditi­ons are easily swallowed, of vn­lawfull entrances, of wicked exe­cutions: Ten shekels, and a sute of apparell, and his diet, are good wa­ges for a needy Leuite. Hee that could bestow eleuen hundred she­kels vpon his puppets, can afford butten to his Priest: so hath hee at once a rich Idoll, and a beggerlie Priest. Whosoeuer affects to serue God, good cheape, showes, that hee makes GOD but a stale to Mammon.

Yet was Micha a kinde Patron, tho not liberall; Hee calls the [Page 294] young Leuite his father, and vses him as his sonne; & what he wants in means, supplies in affection. It were happy, if Christians could imitate the loue of Idolaters, to­wards them which serue at the Al­tar. Micha made a shift vvith the Priesthood of his owne sonne; yet that his heart checks him in it, ap­peares, both by the change, & his contentment in the change; Now I knowe that the Lord will be good to mee, seeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest: Therefore, whiles his Priest was no Leuite, hee sees there was cause, why GOD should not bee good to him. If the Leuite had not comne to offer his seruice, Michaes sonne had been a lawfull Priest; Many times the conscience runnes away smoothly with an vnwarran­table [Page 295] action, and rests it selfe vpon those grounds, which afterward it sees cause to condemne. It is a sure way therfore to informe our selues throughly ere we settle our choice, that wee be not driuen to reuerse our acts with late shame, and vn­profitable repentance.

Now did Micha beginne to see some little glimpse of his own er­ror; He saw his Priesthood faultie, he saw not the faults of his Ephod, of his Images, of his Gods, & yet (as if he thought all had been well, when hee had amended one) hee sayes, Now I know the Lord will be good to mee. The carnall hart plea­ses it selfe with an outward forma­litie; and so delights to flatter it selfe, as that it thinks, if one cir­cumstance [Page 296] be right, nothing can be amisse.

Israel was at this time extremely corrupted; yet the spyes of the Danites had taken notice euen of this young Leuite, and are glad to make vse of his Priesthood. If they had but gone vp to Shilo, they might haue consulted with the Arke of God: but worldly minds are not curious in their holy ser­uices; If they haue a God, an E­phod, a Priest, it suffices them; They had rather inioy a false wor­ship with ease, then to take paines for the true: Those that are curi­ous in their diet, in their purcha­ses, in their attire, in their con­tracts, yet in Gods businesses are very indifferent.

[Page 297] The author of lyes sometimes speakes truth for an aduantage: & from his mouth, this flattering Le­uite speakes what he knew would please, not what hee knew would fall out; The euent answers his prediction, and now the spyes magnifie him to their fellowes: Michaes Idol is a God, and the Le­uite is his Oracle. In matter of iudgement, to be guided onely by the euent, is the way to error; Falshood shall be truth, and Satan an Angell of light, if we follow this rule; Euen very coniectures som­times happen right; A Prophet, or Dreamer may giue a true signe, or wonder, and yet himselfe say, Let vs goe after other Gods. A small thing can winne credite with weake mindes, which where they [Page 298] haue once sped, cannot distrust.

The idolatrous Danites are so besotted with this success, that they wil rather steale, thē want the gods of Micha; and because the Gods without the Priest can doe them lesse seruice, then the Priest with­out the Gods, therfore they steale the Priest with the gods. O misera­ble Israelites! that could think that a God, which could be stoln; that could looke for protection from that, which could not keep it selfe from stealing; which was won by their theft, not their deuotion: Could they worship those Idols more deuoutly then Micha that made them? And if they could not protect their maker from rob­bery, how shall they protect their theeues? If it had been the holie [Page 299] Arke of the true God, how could they thinke it would blesse their violence, or that it wold abide to be translated by rapine, and extor­tion? Now their superstition hath made them mad vpon a God, they must haue him; by what meanes they care not, tho they offend the true God, by stealing a false. Sa­criledge is fit to be the first seruice of an Idol. The spyes of Dan had bin curteously intertained by Mi­cha: thus they reward his hospita­litie. It is no trusting the honestie of Idolaters: if they haue once cast off the true God, whom will they respect?

It seemes, Leuites did not more vvant maintenance, then Israel wanted Leuites; Heere was a tribe [Page 300] of Israel without a spirituall guide. The with-drawing of due meanes, is the way to the vtter desolation of the Church; Rare offerings make cold Altars. There needed small force to draw this Leuite to change his charge; Hold thy peace, and come, & be our father, & Priest; Whether is it better, &c. Heere is not patience, but ioy; Hee that was won with tenne shekels, may be lost with eleuen: When main­tenance and honour calls him, he goes vndriuen; and rather steales himselfe away, then is stoln. The Leuite had too many Gods, to make conscience of pleasing one: There is nothing more in cōstant, then a Leuite that seekes nothing but himselfe.

[Page 301] Thus the wilde fire of Idolatrie, which lay before couched in the priuate ball of Micha, now flies fu­riously through all the Tribe of Dan; who (like to Theeues that haue caried away plaguie clothes) haue insensibly infected thēselues, and their posteritie, to death: He­resie and superstition haue small beginnings, dangerous procee­dings, pernicious cōclusions. This contagion is like a canker, which at the first is scarce visible; after­ward it eates away the flesh, and consumes the body.

THE LEVITES Concubine.

THere is no com­plaint of a pub­liquelie disorde­red State, where a Leuite is not at one end of it; ei­ther as an agent, or a patient. In the Idolatry of Micha, and the Da­nites, a Leuite was an actor; In the violent vncleaneness of Gibeah, a [Page 308] Leuite suffers; No Tribe shal soo­ner feele the want of gouernment, then that of Leui.

The law of God allow'd the Le­uite a wife; humane conniuence, a concubine; neither did the Iewish concubine differ from a wife, but in some outward complements; Both might challenge all the true essence of marriage; so little vvas the difference, that the father of the concubine, is called the father in law to the Leuite. She whom ill custome had of a wife made a con­cubine, is now by her lust, of a con­cubine made an harlot: Her for­nication, together with the change of her bedde, hath changed her a­bode. Perhaps her owne consci­ence thrust her out of doores, per­haps [Page 309] the iust seueritie of her hus­band. Dismission was too easie a penalty for that which GOD had sentenced with death: Shee that had deseru'd to bee abhorred of her husband, seekes shelter from her father. Why would her father suffer his house to be defiled with an adulteresse, tho out of his own loynes? VVhy did hee not rather say; VVhat? Doost thou looke to finde my house an harbour for thy sinne? Whiles thou wert a wife to thine husband, thou wert a daugh­ter to me; Now, thou art neither; Thou art not mine, I gaue thee to thy husband; Thou art not thy husbands, thou hast betrayed his bed; Thy filthiness hath made thee thine owne, and thine adulterers; Goe seeke thine entertainement, [Page 310] where thou hast lost thine hone­stie; Thy lewdness hath brought a necessity of shame vpon thine a­bettors; How can I countenance thy person, and abandon thy sin? I had rather be a iust man, then a kinde father; Get thee home ther­fore to thy husband, craue his for­giueness vpon thy knees, redeem his loue with thy modestie, and o­bedience; when his heart is once open to thee, my doores shall not be shut: In the meane time, know I can be no father to an harlot; In­dulgence of Parents is the refuge of vanitie, the bande of wicked­ness, the bane of children. How easily is that Theefe induced to steale, that knowes his Receiuer: When the lawlesnesse of youth knovves vvhere to finde pittie & [Page 311] toleration, vvhat mischiefe can it forbeare?

By how much better this Le­uite was, so much more iniurious was the concubines sinne: What husband would not haue said; She is gone, let shame and griefe goe with her, I shall finde one no less pleasing, and more faithfull: Or if it be not too much mercy in me to yeeld to a returne, let her that hath offended, seeke mee; VVhat more direct way is there to a resol­ued loosenesse, then to let her see I cannot want her? The good na­ture of this Leuite casts off all these tearms; and now after 4 moneths absence, sends him to seek for her, that had runne away from her fide­litie: And now he thinks, She sind [Page 312] against me: perhaps shee hath re­pented; Perhaps, shame and feare haue with-held her from retur­ning; Perhaps shee will be more loyall, for her sinne; If her impor­tunitie should winne me, halfe the thanks were lost; but now, my vo­luntarie offer of fauour shall ob­lige her for euer. Loue procures truer seruitude then necessitie: Mereie becomes well the heart of any man, but most of a Leuite. He that had helped to offer so manie sacrifices to God for the multitude of euery Israelites sinnes, saw how proportionable it was, that man should not hold one sinne vnpar­donable: Hee had serued at the Altar to no purpose, if hee (whose trade was to sue for mercie) had not at all learned to practice it.

[Page 313] And if the reflexion of mercie wrought this in a seruant, vvhat shall wee expect from him, whose essence is mercy? O God, wee doe euery day breake the holy coue­nant of our loue; Wee prostitute our selues to euery filthy tentati­on, and then runne, and hide our selues in our fathers house, the world; If thou didst not seeke vs vp, wee should neuer returne; If thy gracious proffer did not pre­uent vs, wee should be vncapable of forgiueness; It were abundant goodnes in thee to receiue vs, when we shold intreat thee: but lo, thou intreatest vs that we wold receiue thee. How should wee now adore, and imitate thy mercy, sith there is more reason, wee should sue to each other, then that thou shouldst [Page 314] sue to vs; because we may as well offend, as be offended.

I doe not see the womans father make any meanes for reconcilia­tion: but when remission came home to his doores, no man could entertaine it more thankfully. The nature of many men is forward to accept, and negligent to sue for; they can spend secret wishes vpon that, which shall cost them no in­deauour.

Great is the power of loue, which can in a sort vndoe euills past, if not for the act, yet for the remem­brance. Where true affection was once conceiued, it is easily peeced againe, after the strongest inter­ruption; Heere needs no tedious [Page 315] recapitulation of wrongs, no im­portunitie of sute; The vnkind­nesses are forgotten, their loue is renued; and now the Leuite is not a stranger, but a sonne; By how much more willingly he came, by so much more vnwillingly hee is dismissed. The foure moneths ab­sence of his daughter is answered with foure dayes feasting; Neither was there so much ioy in the for­mer wedding feast, as in this; be­cause then he deliuered his daugh­ter intire; now, desperate: then he found a sonne; but now, that sonne hath found his lost daughter, and he found both: The recouerie of any good, is farre more pleasant then the continuance.

[Page 316] Little doe we knowe what euill is towards vs; Now did this old man, and this restored couple pro­mise themselues all ioy, & content­ment after this vnkind storm; and said in themselues, Now we begin to liue: And now this feast, which was meant for their new nuptialls, prooues her funerall. Euen when wee let our selues loosest to our pleasures, the hand of God (thogh inuisibly) is writing bitter things against vs: sith we are not worthie to know, it is wisedome to suspect the worst, whilst it is least seene.

Sometimes it falls out, that no­thing is more iniurious then cur­resie; If this old man had thrust his sonne and daughter early out of doores, they had auoyded this [Page 317] mischiefe; now, his louing impor­tunity detaines them to their hurt, and his owne repentance. Such contentment doth sincere affecti­on find in the presence of those we loue, that death it selfe hath no o­ther name, but departing; The greatest comfort of our life, is the fruition of friendship, the dissolu­tion whereof, is the greatest paine of death: As all earthly pleasures, so this of loue, is distasted with a necessitie of leauing. How wor­thy is that onely loue to take vp our harts, which is not open to a­ny danger of interruption; which shall out-liue the date euen of faith and hope, and is as eternall, as that GOD, and those blessed spirits whom we loue? If we hang neuer so importunately vpon one ano­thers [Page 318] sleeues, and shed floods of teares to stop their way, yet wee must be gone hence; no occasi­on, no force, shall then remooue vs from our fathers house.

The Leuite is stayed beyond his time by importunitie; the motions whereof are boundlesse, and infi­nite; one day drawes on another; neither is there any reason of this dayes stay, which may not serue still for to morrow. His resolution at last breaks throgh all those kind hinderances; rather will hee ven­ture a benighting, then an vnne­cessary delay. It is a good hea­ring that the Leuite makes haste home; An honest mans heart is where his calling is; Such a one, when he is abroade, is like a fish in [Page 319] the ayre; whereinto if it leape for recreation, or necessitie, yet it soone returns to his own element. This charge, by how much more sacred it is, so much more atten­dance it expecteth; Euen a day breakes square vvith the conscio­nable.

The Sunne is ready to lodge be­fore them; His seruant aduises him to shorten his iourney, hold­ing it more fit to trust an early In of the Iebusites, then to the mercy of the night. And if that counsell had been followed, perhaps they, which found Iebusites in Israel, might haue found Israelites in Ie­bus: No wise man can hold good counsell disparaged, by the meanenesse of the author: If wee [Page 320] be gladde to receiue any treasure from our seruant, why not preci­ous admonitions?

It was the zeale of this Leuite that shut him out of Iebus; We will not lodge in the City of strangers. The Iebusites were strangers in religi­on, not strangers enough in their habitation; The Leuite wil not re­ceiue common curtesie from those which were aliens frō God, though home-borne in the hart of Israel. It is lawfull enough in tearmes of ciuilitie to deale with Infidels; the earth is the Lords, and wee may enioy it in the right of the Owner, while we protest against the wrong of the Vsurper; yet the lesse com­munion with Gods enemies, the more safety. If there were another [Page 321] aire to breathe in from theirs, an­other earth to tread vpon, they should haue their owne: Those that affect a familiar intirenesse with Iebusites, in conuersation, in leagues of amitie, in matrimoniall contracts, bewray either too much boldness, or too little conscience.

Hee hath no bloud of an Israe­lite, that delights to lodge in Iebus: It was the fault of Israel, that an heathenish towne stood yet in the nauell of the Tribes, and that Iebus was no sooner turn'd to Ierusa­lem; Their lenitie and neglect, were guilty of this neighborhood, that now no man can passe from Bethleē Iuda, to mount Ephraim, but by the Citie of Iebusites. Sea­sonable iustice might preuent a [Page 322] thousand euills, which afterwards know no remedy but patience.

The way was not long betwixt Iebus and Gibeah: for the Sun was stooping when the Leuite was o­uer against the first, & is but now declined, whē he comes to the o­ther. How his hart was lightned, when he was entred into an Israeli­tish Citie! and can thinke of no­thing, but hospitalitie, rest, securi­tie. There is no perfume so sweet to a Traueller, as his own smoake. Both expectation and feate, doe commonly disappoint vs; for sel­dome euer do wee inioy the good we looke for, or smart with a feared euill. The poore Leuite could haue found but such entertaine­ment with the Iebusites. Whither [Page 323] are the posteritie of Beniamin de­generated, that their Gibeah shold be no lesse wicked then populous? The first signe of a settled godles­nesse, is, that a Leuite is suffered to lie without doores. If God had been in any of their houses, his seruant had not been excluded: Where no respect is giuē to Gods messengers, there can be no Reli­gion.

Gibeah was a second Sodome; e­uē there also is another Lot: which is therefore so much more hospi­tall to strangers, because himselfe was a stranger. The Host as well as the Leuite is of mount Ephraim; Each man knows best to commise­rate that euil in others, which him selfe hath passed thorough; All [Page 324] that professe the Name of Christ, are Countrimen, and yet stran­gers heere belowe; hovv cheere­fully should we entertaine each o­ther, when we meet in the Gibeah of this inhospitall world?

This good old man of Gibeah, came home late from his work in the fields; the Sunne was sette ere he gaue ouer; And now, seeing this man a stranger, an Israelite, a Leuite, an Ephraimite, and that in his way to the house of GOD, to take vp his lodging in the street, hee proffers him the kindness of his house-roome. Industrious spi­rits are the fittest receptacles of all good motions; whereas those which giue themselues to idle and loose courses, do not care so much as for themselues. I heare of but [Page 325] one man at his worke, in all Gibe­ah: the rest were quaffing and re­uelling. That one man ends his worke in a charitable entertaine­ment; the other, end their play in a brutish beastlinesse, & violence. These villaines had learn'd both the actions, and the language of the Sodomites; One vncleane di­uell was the prompter to both: & this honest Ephraimite, had learnt of righteous Lot, both to intreat, and to proffer. As a perplexed Mariner, that in a storme must cast away something, although preci­ous; so this good Host, rather will prostitute his daughter, a virgin, together with the concubine, then this prodigious villany should be offered to a man, much more to a man of God.

[Page 326] The detestation of a foule sinne drew him to ouer-reach in the motion of a lesser; which if it had been accepted, how could he have escaped the partnership of their vncleanenesse, and the guilt of his daughters rauishment? No man can wash his hands of that sinne, to which his will hath yeelded. Bo­dily violence may be inoffensiue in the patient; voluntary inclina­tion to euill (tho out of feare) can neuer be excusable: yet behold this wickednesse is too little to sa­tisfie these monsters.

Who would haue looked for so extreame abhomination from the loynes of Iacob, the wombe of Ra­chel, the sons of Beniamin? Could the very Iebusites their neighbors [Page 327] be euer accused of such vnnatu­rall outrage? I am ashamed to say it, Euen the worst Pagans vvere Saints, to Israel. VVhat auailes it that they haue the Arke of GOD in Shiloh, while they haue. Sodom in their streets? that the law of God is in their sringes, whiles the diuell is in their harts? Nothing but hell it selfe can yeeld a worse creature then a depraued Israelite; the ve­ry meanes of his reformation, are the fuell of his wickednes.

Yet Lot sped so much better in Sodom, then this Ephraimite did in Gibeah, by how much more ho­ly guests hee entertained. There the guests were Angels; here a sin­full man. There the guests saued the host; heere the host could not [Page 328] saue the guest from brutish vio­lence; Those Sodomites vvere striken with outward blindnes and defeated; These Beniamites are onely blinded with lust, and pre­uaile. The Leuite comes forth, perhaps his coat saued his person from this villany; who now thinks himselfe well, that hee may haue leaue to redeeme his owne disho­nour with his concubines. If hee had not loued her deerely, he had neuer sought her so farre, after so foule a sinne; Yet now his hate of that vnnaturall wickednesse ouer­came his loue to her; She is expo­sed to the furious lust of barbarous ruffians, and (which hee misdoub­ted not) abused to death.

[Page 329] Oh the iust and euen course which the Almightie Iudge of the world holds in all his retributions! This woman had shamed the bed of a Leuite, by her former wan­tonnesse; shee had thus farre gone smoothly away with her sinne; her father harbourd her, her husband forgaue her, her owne hart found no cause to complaine, because shee smarted not: now, vvhen the world had forgotten her offence, GOD calls her to reckoning and punishes her with her owne sinne. She had voluntarily exposed her­selfe to lust; now is exposed force­ably. Adultery was her sinne, a­dultery was her death. VVhat smiles soeuer wickedness casts vp­on the heart, vvhiles it solicites; it vvill owe vs a displeasure, and [Page 330] prooue it selfe a faithfull Deb­ter.

The Leuite looked to find her humbled with this violence, not murdered; and now, indignation moues him to adde horror to the fact: Had not his heart been raised vp with an excess of desire to make the crime as odious, as it was sin­full, his action could not be excu­sed. Those hands that might not touch a carcass, now carue the corps of his owne dead wife, into morsels; and send these tokens to all the Tribes of Israel; that when they should see these gobbets of the body murdered, the more they might detest the murderers. Him­selfe puts on cruelty to the dead, that hee might draw them to a iust [Page 331] reuenge of her death; Actions no­toriously vilanous, may iustlie countenance an extraordinarie meanes of prosecution: Euery Is­raelite hath part in a Leuits wrong; No Tribe hath not his share in the carcasse, and the reuenge.

The Desolation of Beniamin.

THese morsels could not chuse but cut the harts of Israel with horror, and compassion; hor­ror of the act, and compassion of the sufferer: and now their zeale drawes them together, either for satisfaction, or reuenge. VVho would not haue looked that the hands of Beniamin should haue been first vpon Gibeah; and that they should haue readily sent the heads of the offenders, for a se­cond seruice after the gobbets of [Page 334] the concubine: But now, insteed of punishing the sinne, they patro­nize the actors; and will rather die in resisting iustice, then liue and prosper in furthering it.

Surely, Israel had one Tribe too many: all Beniamin is turned into Gibeah, the sonnes not of Beniamin, but of Belial. The abet­ting of euill, is worse then the commission; This may bee vpon infirmitie, but that must be vpon resolution: Easie punishment is too much fauour to sinne: conni­uence is much worse: but the de­fence of it (and that vnto bloud) is intollerable. Had not these men been both wicked, and quarrel­lous, they had not drawne their swords in so foule a cause. Peacea­ble [Page 335] dispositions are hardly drawne to fight for innocence: yet these Beniaminites (as if they were in loue with villany, and out of cha­ritie with GOD) will be the wil­full. Champions of lewdness. How can Gibeah repent them of that wickednesse, which all Beniamin will make good; in spight of their consciences? Euen where sinne is suppressed, it will rise; but, where it is incouraged, it insults & tyran­nizes.

It was more iust that Israel shold rise against Beniamin, then that Beniamin should rise for Gibeah; by how much it is better to pu­nish offenders, then to shelter the offenders from punishing; And yet the wickedness of Beniamin, [Page 336] sped better for the time, then the honestie of Israel; Twise was the better part foyled by the lesse, and worse; The good cause vvas sent backe with shame: the euill retur­ned with victory, and triumph. O GOD! their hand was for thee in the fight, and thy hand was with them in their fall; They had not fought for thee, but by thee; nei­ther could they haue miscarried in the fight, if thou hadst not fought against them; Thou art iust & ho­ly in both. The cause was thine: the sinne in managing of it, vvas their owne; They fought in an holy quarrell, but with confidence in themselues; for, as presuming of victorie, they aske of GOD, not what should be their success, but who should be their Captaine. [Page 337] Number & innocence made them too secure; It was iust therefore with GOD, to let them feele, that euen good zeale cannot beare out presumption: And that victory lyes not in the cause, but in the God that ownes it.

VVho cannot imagine hovv much the Beniaminites insulted in their double field, and day? And now beganne to think, God was on their side; Those swords which had bin taught the way into fortie thousand bodies of their brethren, cannot feare a new in­counter. Wicked men cannot see their prosperity a peece of their curse, neither can examine their actions, but the euents: Soone after, they shall finde what it was [Page 338] to adde bloud vnto filthinesse, and that the victory of an euill cause, is the way to ruine and con­fusion.

I should haue feared least this double discomfiture should haue made Israel, either distrustfull, or weary of a good cause: but still I finde them no lesse courageous, with more humilitie. Now they fast, & weepe, and sacrifice; these weapons had been victorious in their first assault; Beniamin had neuer been in danger of pride for ouer comming, if this humiliation of Israel had preuented the fight. It is sildom seen, but that which we do with feare, prospereth; wheras confidence in vndertaking, layes euen good indeauours in the dust.

[Page 339] Wickednesse could neuer brag of any long prosperitie; nor com­plaine of the lacke of payment: Still GOD is euen with it at the last; Now hee payes the Benia­minites both that death which they had lent to the Israelites, and that wherein they stood indeb­ted to their brotherhood of Gi­beah: And novv that both are metre in death, there is as much difference betwixt those Israe­lites, and these Beniaminites, as betwixt Martyrs, and malefac­tors: To die in a sinne is a feare­full reuenge of giuing patronage to sinne; The sword consumes their bodies, another fire their Cities, vvhat-soeuer became of their soules.

[Page 340] Now might Rachel haue iustlie wept for her childrē, because they were not; For, behold the men, women, and children of her wic­ked Tribe, are cut off; onely some few scattred remainders, ran away from this vengeance, and lurked in caues, and rocks, both for fear, and shame; There was no diffe­rence, but life, betwixt their bre­thren and them; the earth couered them both: yet vnto them, doth the reuenge of Israel stretch it self▪ and vowes to destroy, if not their persons, yet their succession; as holding them vnwoorthy to re­ceiue any comfort by that sexe, to which they had bin so cruell, both in act, and maintenance. If the Is­raelites had not held marriage & issue a very great blessing, they [Page 341] had not thus reuenged themselues of Beniamin; Now they accoun­ted the vvith-holding of their wiues, a punishment second to death: The hope of life in our po­steritie, is the next contentment to an inioying of life in our selues.

They haue sworn, and now vp­on cold bloud repent them. If the oath were not iust, why wold they take it? and if it were iust, why did they recant it? If the act were lu­stifiable, what needed these tears? Euen a iust oath may be rashly ta­ken: not onely iniustice, but te­merity of swearing ends, in lamen­tation. In our very ciuill actions, it is a weaknes, to do that which we would after reuerse; but in our affaires with GOD, to check our [Page 342] selues too late, and to steepe our oathes in teares, is a dangerous folly; He doth not commaund vs to take voluntary oathes; he com­maunds vs to keepe them. If wee bind our selues to inconuenience, we may iustly cōplain of our owne fetters: Oaths doe not onely re­quire iustice, but iudgment; wise deliberation, no lesse then equity.

Not conscience of their fact, but commiseration of their bre­thren, led them to this publique re­pentance. O God, why is this come to pass, that this day one Tribe of Is­rael shall want? Euen the iustest reuenge of men is capable of pit­tie; Insultation in the rigor of iu­stice, argues crueltie; Charitable mindes are grieued to see that [Page 343] done, which they would not wish vndone; the smart of the offender doth not please thē, which yet are throughly displeased with the sin, and haue giuen their hands to pu­nish it. GOD himselfe takes no pleasure in the death of a sinner, yet loues the punishment of sin: As a good Parent whips his child, yet weepes himselfe; There is a measure in victorie, and reuenge, if neuer so iust; which to exceed, leeses mercie in the sute of Iu­stice.

If there were no fault in their se­ueritie, it needed no excuse; and if there were a fault, it will admitte of no excuse: yet, as if they meant to shift off the sinne, they expo­stulate with God; O Lord God of [Page 344] Israel, why is this come to passe this day? GOD gaue them no com­maund of this rigour; yea he twise crost them in the execution; and now, in that which they intreated of God with teares, they challenge him. It is a dangerous iniustice to lay the burden of our sinnes vpon him, which tempteth no man, nor can be tempted with euill; whiles we would so remooue our sinne, we double it.

A man that knew not the pow­er of an oath, wold wonder at this contrarietie in the affections of Israel; They are sory for the slaughter of Beniamin, and yet they slay those that did not helpe them in the slaughter. Their oath calls them to more bloud; The [Page 345] excess of their reuenge vpon Ben­iamin, may not excuse the men of Gilead; If euer oath might looke for a dispensation, this might plead it; Now, they dare not but kill the men of Iabesh Gilead, least they should haue left vpon themselues a greater sin of sparing, then puni­shing. Iabesh Gilead came not vp to ayde Israel, therefore all the in­habitants must die. To exempt our selues (whether out of singu­laritie, or stubbornness) from the common actions of the Church, when wee are lawfully called to them, is an offence woorthy of iudgement: In the maine quarrels of the Church, neutralls are puni­shed. This execution shal make a­mends for the former; of the spoile of Iabesh Gilead, shall the Benia­minites [Page 346] be stored with wiues: that no man may think these men slain for their daughters, they plainlie die for their sin; and these Gilea­dites might not haue liued, with­out the periury of Israel: and now, sith they must die, it is good to make benefit of necessity. I in­quire not into the rigour of the oath; If their solemn vow did not bind them to kill all of both sexes in Beniamin, why did they not spare their virgins? and if it did so binde them, why did they spare the virgins of Gilead? Fauors must bee inlarged in all these religious restrictions; where breath may be taken in them, it is not fit nor safe they should be strainted.

[Page 347] Foure-hundred virgins of Gi­lead haue lost parents, and bre­thren, and kindred, and now finde husbands in lieu of them. An in­forced marriage, was but a mise­rable comfort for such a losse: like wards, or captiues they are taken, and chuse not. These suffice not, their friendly aduersaries consult for more, vpon worse conditions. Into what troublesome and dan­gerous straits do men thrust them­selues, by either vniust, or inconsi­derate vowes?

In the midst of all this common lawlesnes of Israel, here was con­science made on both sides, of matching with Infidels; The Isra­elites can rather be content their daughters should be stoln by their [Page 348] own, then that the daughters of a­liens should be giuen them. These men which had not grace enough to detest & punish the beastliness of their Gileadites, yet are not so graceless, as to chuse them wiues of the Heathen: All but Atheists (howsoeuer they let themselues loose) yet in some things, find thē ­selues restrained, and show to o­thers that they haue a conscience. If there were not much danger, & much sinne in this vnequall yoke, they would neuer haue perswaded to so heauy an inconuenience; Disparitie of religion in matrimo­niall contracts, hath so many mis­chiefes, that it is worthy to be re­deemed with much preiudice.

[Page 349] They which might not giue their own daughters to Beniamin, yet giue others, whiles they giue leaue to steale them. Stoln marriages, are both vnnaturall, and ful of ha­zard; for loue (whereof marriage is the knot) cannot be forced: this was rather rape, then wedlocke. What vnlikeness (perhaps contra­rietie) of disposition, what auerse­nesse of affection, may there be in not onely a sudden, but a forcea­ble meeting? If these Beniaminites had not taken libertie of giuing themselues ease by diuorcement, they would often haue found lea­sure to rue this stoln booty. This act may not bee drawn to exam­ple; and yet here was a kind of in­definite consent; Both deliberati­on, and good liking, are little e­nough [Page 350] for a during estate, & that which is once done for euer.

These virgins come vp to the feast of the Lord; and now, out of the midst of their daunces are car­ried to a double captiuitie. How many virgins haue lost themselues in daunces? and yet this sport was not immodest. These virgins dan­ced by themselues, without the company of them vvhich might moue towards vnchastity; for if a­ny men had bin with thē, they had found so many rescuers, as they had assaulters; now, the exposing of their weake sex to this iniurie, prooues their innocence. Our vsu­all daunces are guilty of more sin; Wanton gestures, & vnchast tou­ches, lookes, motions, drawe the [Page 351] hart to folly; The ambushes of e­uill spirits, carry away manie a soule from daunces, to a fearefull desolation.

It is supposed, that the Parents thus robbed of their daughters, will take it heauily: There cannot be a greater crosse, then the mis­carriage of children; They are not onely the liuing goods, but peeces of their Parents; that they should therefore bee torne from them by violence, is no lesse iniu­ry, then the dismembring of their owne bodies.

Naomi and Ruth.

BEtwixt the raigne of the Iudges, Israel was plagued with tyran­nie; and whiles some of them raigned, with famine; Seldome did that rebellious peo­ple want somewhat to humble them; One rod is not enough for a stubborne childe: The fa­mine must needs be great, that makes the inhabitants to runne their country; The name of home is so sweet, that we cannot leaue it for a little; Behold that [Page 354] Land, which had wont to flow with milke and honie, now a­bounds with want and penurie, and Bethleem in stead of an house of bread, is an house of fa­mine; A fruitfull land doth God make barren, for the wickednesse of them, that dwell therein; The earth beares not for it selfe, but for vs; God is not angry with it, but with men; For our sakes, it was first cursed to thornes and thistles, after that, to moisture, and since that (not seldome) to drought; and by all these to bar­rennesse. Wee may not looke alwaies for plenty; It is a won­der whiles there is such superflui­tie of wickednes, that our earth is no more sparing of her fruits.

[Page 355] The whole earth is the Lords, and in him, ours; It is lawfull for the owners to change their hou­ses, at pleasure; Why should we not make free vse of any part of our owne possessions? Elimelech and his familie remoue from Bethleem Iuda vnto Moab; No­thing but necessitie can dispense with a locall relinquishing of Gods Church; Not pleasure, not profit, not curiositie; Those which are famished out, God calls, yea driues from thence. The creator and possessor of the earth, hath not confined any man to his ne­cessarie destruction.

It was lawfull for Elimelech to make vse of Pagans, and Idolaters, [Page 356] for the supply of all needfull helps; There cannot be a better imployment of Moabites, then to be the treasurers and purueyours of Gods children; Wherefore serue they but to gather for the true owners? It is too much nice­nesse in them, which forbeare the benefit they might make of the faculties of profane, or hereticall persons; They consider not that they haue more right to the good such men can doe, then they that doe it, and challenge that good for their owne.

But I cannot see, how it could be lawful for his Sonnes to match with the daughters of Moab; Had these men heard how farre, [Page 357] and vnder how solemne an oath, their father Abraham sent for a wife of his owne tribe, for his son Isaac? Had they heard the ear­nest charge of holy Isaac, to the sonne he blessed, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan? Had they forgotten the plagues of Israel for but a short conuersa­tion with the Moabitish women? If they plead remotenesse from their owne people; Did they not remember how farre Iacob walked to Padan-Aram? Was it further from Moab to Bethleem, then from Bethleem to Moab? and if the care of themselues led them from Bethleem to Moab; should not their care of obedience to God haue as wel carried thē back [Page 358] from Moab to Bethleem? Yet if their wiues would have left their Idolatrie with their maiden-head, the match had been more safe; but now, euen at the last farewell, Naomi can say of Orpah, that she is returned to her gods. These men haue sinned in their choice, and it speeds with them accordingly: Where did euer one of these vn­equall matches prosper? The two sonnes of Elimelech are swept away childlesse in the prime of their age, and in steed of their seed they leaue their carcasses in Moab; their wiues widdowes, their mo­ther childlesse, and helplesse a­mongst Infidels, in that age which most needed comfort. How mi­serable doe we now finde poore [Page 359] Naomi? which is left destitute of her country, her husband, her children, her friends; and turned loose, and solitarie to the mercie of the world: Yet euen out of these hopelesse ruines, will God raise comfort to his seruant. The first good newes is, that God hath visited his people with bread; now therefore, since her husband and sonnes were vnrecouerable, she will try to recouer her coun­try, and kinred; If wee can haue the same conditions in Iudah, that we haue in Moab, we are no Israelites▪ if wee returne not; Whiles her husband and sonnes liued, I heare no motion of reti­ring home, now these her earthly stayes are remoued, shee thinks [Page 360] presently of remouing to her country; Neither can we so har­tily thinke of our home aboue, whiles wee are furnished with these worldly contentments; when God strips vs of them, straight-waies our mind is home­ward.

She that came from Bethleem, vnder the protection of an hus­band, attended with her sonnes, stored with substance; resolues now to measure all that way a­lone: Her aduersitie had stript her of all, but a good heart; that remaines with her, and beares vp her head, in the deepest of her extremitie: True Christian forti­tude wades through all euills; [Page 361] and, tho we be vp to the chin, yet keepes firme footing against the streame: where this is, the sexe is not discerned; neither is the quantitie of the euill read in the face; How well doth this cou­rage become Israelites, when wee are left comfortlesse in the midst of the Moab of this world, to re­solue the contempt of all dangers, in the way to our home; As con­trarily, nothing doth more mis­beseeme a Christian, then that his spirits should flagge with his estate, and that any difficultie should make him dispaire of at­tayning his best ends.

Goodnes is of a winning qua­lity wheresoeuer it is; and euen amongst Infidels, will make it [Page 362] selfe friends; The good disposi­tion of Naomi carries away the hearts of her daughters in law with her; so as they are ready to forsake their kinred, their coun­trey, yea their owne mother, for a stranger, whose affinity died with her sons: Those men are worse then Infidels, and next to Diuels that hate the vertues of Gods Saints; and could loue their persons well if they were not con­scionable.

How earnestly doe these two daughters of Moab plead for their continuance with Naomi; and how hardly is either of them dis­swaded from partaking of the miserie of her society; there are [Page 363] good natures euen among Infi­dels, and such as for morall dispo­sition, and ciuill respects cannot be exceeded by the best pro­fessors: Who can suffer his heart to rest in those qualities, which are common to them that are without God?

Naomi could not be so insensi­ble of her owne good, as not to know how much comfort shee might reape to the so litarinesse, both of her voyage, and her wid­dowhood, by the society of these two yonger widdowes, whose affections she had so well tried; even very partnership is a miti­gation of euils; yet so earnestly doth she disswade from accom­panying [Page 364] her, as that she could not haue said more, if she had thought their presence irkesome, and burdenous: Good disposi­tions loue not to pleasure them­selues with the disaduantage of others; and had rather be misera­ble alone, then to draw in part­ners to their sorrow; for the sight of anothers calamity doth rather double their owne; and if them­selues were free, would affect them with compassion; As con­trarilie, ill mindes care not how many companions they haue in miserie, nor how few consorts in good; If themselues mis-carry, they could be content all the world were enwrapped with them in the same distresse.

[Page 365] I maruell not that Orpah is by this seasonable importunity per­swaded to returne; from a mo­ther in law, to a mother in nature; from a toylesome iourney to rest, from strangers to her kinred, from an hopelesse condition, to likelihoods of contentment. A little intreaty will serue to mooue nature to be good vnto it selfe: E­uery one is rather a Naomi to his owne soule, to perswade it to stay still, and inioy the delights of Moab, rather then to hazard our entertainment in Bethleem: Will religion allow me this wilde li­bertie of my actions, this loose mirth, these carnal pleasures? Can I be a Christian, and not liue sul­lenly? None but a regenerate [Page 366] heart can choose rather to suffer aduersity with Gods people, then to inioy the pleasures of sin for a season.

The one sister takes an vnwil­ling farwell, and moistens her last kisses with many teares; the other cannot be driuen back but repells one intreatie, with another; Intreat me not to leaue thee; for whi­ther thou goest, I will go; where thou dwellest I will dwell, thy people shall be my people, thy God my God, where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried; Ruth saw so much vpon ten yeares tryall, in Naomi, as was more worth then all Moab; and in com­parison whereof, all worldly re­spects deserued nothing but con­tempt: [Page 367] The next degree vnto goodnesse is the loue of good­nesse: He is in a faire way to grace, that can value it; If she had not been already a proselite, she could not haue set this price vp­on Naomies vertue. Loue cannot be seperated from a desire of fru­ition; In vaine had Ruth pro­tested her affection to Naomi, if she could haue turned her out to her iourney alone; Loue to the saints doth not more argue our interest in God, then societie ar­gues the truth of our loue.

As some tight vessell that holds out against winde and water, so did Ruth against all the powers of a mothers perswasions; The [Page 368] impossibilitie of the comfort of marriage in following her (which drew backe her sister in law) can­not moue her; She heares her mo­ther, like a modest matrone (con­trary to the fashion of these times) say, I am too old to haue an husband, and yet she thinkes not on the contrary, I am too young to want an husband: It should seeme the Moabites had learned this fashion of Israel to expect the brothers raising of seed to the deceased; The widdow­hood and age of Naomi cuts off that hope; neither could Ruth then, dreame of a Boaz that might aduance her; It is no loue that cannot make vs willing to be miserable for those we affect; The [Page 369] hollowest heart can be content to follow one that prospereth: Aduersity is the onely furnace of friendship; If loue vvill not abide both fire and anuile, it is but coun­terfeit; so in our loue to God vve doe but crack and vaunt in vaine if we cannot be willing to suffer for him.

But if any motiue might hope to speed, that which was drawne from example, was most likely; Behold thy sister in law, is gone backe vnto her people, and to her Gods; returne thou after her: This one art-lesse perswasion hath preuailed more with the world, then all the places of reason: How many millions mis­carry [Page 370] vpon this ground; Thus did my fore-fathers; Thus doe the most; I am neither the first, nor the last; Doe any of the rulers; We straight thinke that, either safe, or pardonable, for which we can plead a precedent. This good woman hath more warrant for her resolution, then anothers practise; The minde can neuer be steddy, whiles it standes vpon others feet, and till it be setled vp­on such grounds of assurance, that it will rather lead, then follow; and can say with Ioshua, what­soeuer become of the world, I and my house will serue the Lord.

If Naomi had not been a person of eminent note; no knowledge [Page 371] had been taken at Bethleem, of her returne; Pouerty is euer obscure; and those that haue little, may go and come without noise: If the streets of Bethleem had not before vsed to say, There goes Naomi; they had not now asked, Is not this Naomi? She that had lost all things, but her name, is willing to part with that also; Call mee not Naomi, but call me Marah; Her hu­mility cares little for a glorious name, in a deiected estate; Many a one would haue set faces vpon their want, and in the bitternesse of their condition, haue affected the name of beauty; In all formes of good, there are more that care to seeme, then to be; Naomi hates this hypocrisie, and since [Page 372] God hath humbled her, desires not to bee respected of men: Those which are truely brought downe, make it not daintie, that the world should thinke them so; but are ready to bee the first proclaimers of their owne vile­nesse.

Naomi went full out of Bethleem to preuent want; and now shee brings that want home with her, which shee desired to auoide: Our blindnesse oft times carries vs into the perills wee seeke to eschew; God finds it best many times to crosse the likely proiects of his dearest children; and to multiply those afflictions, which they feared single.

[Page 373] Ten yeares haue turned Naomi into Marah; what assurance is there of these earthly thinges, whereof one houre may strip vs? What man can say of the yeares to come, Thus I will be? How iustly doe we contemne this vn­certainty, and looke vp to those riches that cannot but indure, when heauen and earth are dis­solued?

Boaz and Ruth.

WHiles Elimelech shifted to Moab to auoide the famine; Boaz abode still at Bethleem, and continued rich, and powerfull; He staide at home, and found that, which Elimelech went to seeke, and missed: The iudge­ment of samme doth not lightly extend it selfe to all; Pestilence and the sword spare none; but dearth commonly plagueth the meaner sort, and balketh the mightie; When Boaz his store-house [Page 375] was emptie, his fieldes were full; and maintaine the name of Bethleem.

I do not heare Ruth stand vp­on the termes of her better edu­cation, or wealthy Parentage, but now that God hath called her to want, she scornes not to lay her hand vnto all homely seruices; and thinkes it no disparagement to finde her bread in other mens fields; There is no harder lesson to a generous minde, nor that more beseemes it, then either to beare want, or to preuent it; Base spirits giue themselues ouer to idlenesse, and miserie, and be­cause they are crossed, will sul­lenly perish.

[Page 376] That good woman hath not been for nothing in the schoole of patience; shee hath learned obedience to a poore stepmother; shee was now a widdow, past he reach of any danger of correcti­on, besides, that penurie might seeme to dispense with awe▪ Euen children doe easily learne to con­temne the pouertie of their owne Parents; Yet hath shee so inured her selfe to obedience, that shee will not so much as goe forth into the field to gleane, without the leaue of her mother in law, and is no lesse obsequious to March, then shee was to Naomi; What shall wee say to those children, that in the maine actions of their life, forget they haue naturall Pa­rents: [Page 377] It is a shame to see that in meane families want of substance causeth want of dutie; and that children should thinke themselus priuiledged for vnreuerence, be­cause the Parent is poore.

Little do we know, when wee goe forth in the morning, what God meanes to doe with vs ere night; There is a prouidence that attends on vs in all our waies; and guides vs insensibly to his owne ends; That diuine hand leads Ruth blindfolded to the field of Boaz: That shee meets with his reapers, and falls vpon his land amongst all the fields of Beth­leem, it was no praise to her election, but the gracious dis­position [Page 378] of him, in whom wee mooue; His thoughts are aboue ours; and do so order our acti­ons, as we, if wee had knowne, should haue wished.

No sooner is she come into the field, but the reapers are friendly to her; no sooner is Boaz come into his field, but he inuites her to more bountie then shee could haue desired; now God begins to repay into her bosome, her loue and dutie to her mother in law; Reuerence and louing re­spects to Parents, neuer yet went away vnrecompenced; God will surely raise vp friends amongst strangers, to those that haue been officious at home.

[Page 379] It was worth Ruthes iourney from Moab, to meet with such a man as Boaz, whom wee finde thriftie, religious, charitable; Tho he were rich yet he was not care­lesse; hee comes into the field to ouersee his reapers; Euen the best estate requires carefull menaging of the owner; He wanted not of­ficers to take charge of his hus­bandrie, yet he had rather be his owne witnesse: After all the trust of others, the Masters eye feeds the horse: The Master of this great houshold of the world giues vs an example of this care, whose eye is in euery corner of this his large possession; Not ci­uilitie only, but religion binde vs to good husbandrie; We are all [Page 380] stewards, and what account can we giue to our master, if we neuer looke after our estate? I doubt whether Boaz had been so rich, if he had not been so frugall: Yet was he not more thriftie, then re­ligious: He comes not to his rea­pers, but with a blessing in his mouth: The Lord be with you, as one that knew, if hee were with them, and not the Lord, his pre­sence could auaile nothing; All the businesse of the familie speeds the better, for the masters bene­diction; Those affaires are likely to succeed, that take their begin­ning at God.

Charitie was well matched with his religion; without which, good [Page 381] words, are but hypocrites; no sooner doth hee heare the name of the Moabitesse, but he seconds the kindnes of his reapers; and still he rises in his fauours▪ First, she may gleane in his field; then shee may drinke of his vessells; then, shee shall take her meale with his reapers; and part of it, from his owne hand; Lastly, his worke-men must let fall sheaues for her gathering: A small thing helps the needie: an handfull of gleanings, a lap-full of parched corne, a draught of the seruants bottles, a loose sheafe was such a fauour to Ruth, as she thought was aboue all recompence; This was not seene in the estate of Boaz, which yet makes her [Page 382] for the time, happy. If we may refresh the soule of the poore with the very offalls of our estate, and not hurt our selues, woe be to vs if we doe it not; Our barnes shall bee as full of curses as of corne, if we grudge the scattered eares of our field to the hands of the needie.

How thankfully doth Ruth take these small fauours from Boaz: perhaps some rich Iewell in Moab would not haue been so welcome; Euen this was a pre­sage of her better estate; those which shall receiue great bles­sings, are euer thankfull for little; and if poore soules be so thank­full to vs, for but an handfull, or a [Page 383] sheafe; how should we be affe­cted to our God, for whose fields­full, for full barnes, full garners?

Doubtlesse, Boaz, hauing taken notice of the good nature, duti­full cariage, and the neere affini­tie of Ruth, could not but pur­pose some greater beneficence, and higher respects to her; Yet now onwards he fits his kindnes to her condition, and giues her that, which to her meanenesse seemed much, tho he thought it little: Thus doth the bountie of our God deale with vs; It is not for want of loue, that he giues vs no greater measure of grace, but for want of our fitnesse and capa­citie; Hee hath reserued greater [Page 384] preferments for vs, when it shall bee seasonable for vs to receiue them.

Ruth returnes home wealthy with her Ephah of barley, and thankfully magnifies the liberali­tie of Boaz, her new benefactor: Naomi repayes his beneficence with her blessing; Blessed be he of the Lord. If the rich can exchange their almes with the poore for blessings, they haue no cause to complaine of an ill bargaine Our gifts cannot be worth their faith­full prayers: Therefore it is bet­ter to giue then to receiue, be­cause he that receiues, hath but a worthlesse almes, hee that giues, receiues an vnualuable blessing.

[Page 385] I cannot but admire the mo­destie and silence of these two women; Naomi had not so much as talked of her kinred in Beth­leem, nor till now, had shee told Ruth that she had a wealthy kins­man; neither had Ruth inquired of her husbands great alliance; but both sate downe meekly with their owne wants, and cared not to know any thing else saue that themselues were poore: Humi­litie is euer the way to honor.

It is a discurtesie where we are beholden, to alter our dependen­cie; Like as men of trade take it ill, if customers which are in their bookes, goe for their wares to another shop; Wise­ly [Page 386] doth Naomi aduise Ruth not to bee seene in any other field, whiles the haruest lasted. The very taking of their fauours is a contentment to those that haue already well deserued; and it is quarrell enough that their curte­sie is not receiued; How shall the God of heauen take it, that whiles he giues and proffers largely, wee runne to the world that can af­ford vs nothing but vanitie and vexation?

Those that can least act, are oft-times the best to aduise: Good old Naomi sits still at home, and by her counsell payes Ruth all the loue shee owes her. The face of that action, to which [Page 387] shee directs her, is the worst peece of it; the heart was sound; Perhaps, the assurance, which long tryall had giuen her of the good gouernment, and firme chastitie of her daughter in law, together with her perswasion of the religious grauitie of Boaz, made her thinke that designe safe, which to others had been perilous, if not desperate; But besides that, holding Boaz next of blood to Elimelech, shee made account of him, as the lawfull husband of Ruth; so as there wanted nothing but a challenge, and consummation; Nothing was abated but some outward so­lemnities, which (tho expedient for the satisfaction of others) [Page 388] yet were not essentiall to marri­age: And if there were not these colours for a proiect so suspici­ous, it would not follow, that the action were warrantable, be­cause Naomies: Why should her example be more safe in this then in matching her sonues with In­sidels; then in sending backe Orpah to her fathers Gods? If euery act of an holy person should bee our rule, wee should haue crooked liues: Euery action that is reported, is not straight-waies allowed; Our courses were very vncertaine, if God had not giuen vs rules, whereby wee may examine the examples of the best Saints, and as well censure, as fol­low them. Let them that stumble [Page 389] at the boldnes of Ruth, imitate the continence of Boaz.

These times were not delicate; This man (though great in Beth­leem) laies him downe to rest vp­on a pallet, in the floore of his barne; when hee awakes at mid­night, no maruell if he were ama­zed to finde himselfe accompa­nied; yet, though his heart were cheared with wine, the place soli­tarie, the night silent, the person comely, the inuitation plausible, could hee be drawne to a rash act of lust▪ His appetite could not get the victorie of reason, tho it had wine and oportunitie to helpe it; Herein Boaz showd himselfe a great master of his [Page 390] affections, that hee was able to resist a fit tentation; It is no thanke to many that they are free of some euills; perhaps they wan­ted not will, but conuenience; But if a man when hee is fitted with all helps to his sin, can repell the pleasure of sin, out of consci­ence; this is true fortitude.

In steed of touching her as a wanton, he blesses her as a father, incourageth her as a friend, pro­miseth her as a kinsman, rewards her as a patron, & sends hir away lade with hopes, & gifts, no lesse chaste, more happy then shee came: Oh admirable temperance worthy the progenitor of him, in whose lips and heart was no guile.

[Page 391] If Boaz had been the next kins­man, the marriage had needed no protraction, but now that his conscience told him, that Ruth was the right of another, it had not been more sensualitie then iniustice, to haue touched his kinswoman; It was not any bo­dily impotencie, but honestie and conscience that restrained Boaz, for the very next night shee con­ceiued by him; that good man wished his mariage bed holy, and durst not lye downe in the doubt of a sinne: Many a man is honest out of necessitie, and affects the praise of that, which hee could not auoide; but that mans minde is still an adulterer, in the for­ced continence of his bodie; [Page 392] No action can giue vs true comfort, but that which we do out of the grounds of obedience.

Those which are fearefull of sinning, are carefull not to bee thought to sin; Boaz, though he knew himselfe to be cleare, would not haue occasion of suspicion giuen to others; (Let no man know that a woman came into the floore:) A good heart is no lesse afraide of a scandall, then of a sin; whereas those that are resolued not to make any scruple of sin, despise others constructions, not caring whom they offend, so that they may please themselues. That Naomi might see her daughter in law was not sent backe in dislike; [Page 393] she comes home laden with corne; Ruth hath gleaned more this night, then in halfe the har­uest; The care of Boaz was, that she should not returne to her mother emptie: Loue wheresoe­uer it is, cannot bee niggard­ly; Wee measure the loue of God by his gifts; How shall hee abide to send vs away emp­tie from those treasures of good­nesse.

Boaz is restlesse in the prosecu­tion of this sute; and hies him from his threshing floore, to the gate; and there conuents the nearer kinsman before the El­ders of the Citty; what was it that made Boaz so readie to [Page 394] intertaine, so forward to vrge this match? Wealth she had none, not so much as bread, but what she gleaned out of his fielde: Friends she had none, and those she had else where, Moabites; Beauty she could not haue much, after that scorching in her trauell, in her gleanings, Himselfe tells her what drew his heart to her, (All the Citie of my people doth know that thou art a vertuous woman:) Vertue in whomsoeuer it is found, is a great dowry, and where it meetes with an heart that knowes how to value it, is accounted greater riches then all that is hid in the bowels of the earth: The corne heape of Boaz was but chaffe to this, & his mony, drosse.

[Page 395] As a man that had learned to square all his actions to the law of God, Boaz proceeds legally with his riuall; and tells him of a par­cell of Elimelecs land (which, it is like vpon his remouall to Moab, he had alienated;) which he (as the next kinsman) might haue power to redeeme; yet so, as he must purchase the wife of the de­ceased, with the land; Euery kins­man is not a Bonz, the man could listen to the land, if it had beene free from the clog of a necessary marriage; but now he will rather leaue the land, then take the wife; Least, whiles he should preserue Elimelecs inheritance, he should destroy his owne; for the next seede, which he should haue by [Page 396] Ruth, should not be his heire, but his deceased kinsmans; How knew he whether God might not by that wife, send heires enow for both their estates? rather had he therefore incurre a manifest in­iustice, then hazard the danger of his inheritance; The law of God bound him to raise vp seede to the next in blood; the care of his inheritance drawes him to a neglect of his duty, tho with in­famy and reproch, and now he had rather his face should bee spit vpon, and his name should bee called, The house of him whose shooe was pull'd off, then to reserue the honour of him, that did his brother right, to his owne preiudice; How many [Page 397] are there that doe so ouer-loue their issue, as that they regard neither sinne, nor shame in ad­uancing it? and that will ra­ther indaunger their soule then leese their name? It is a wo­full inheritance that makes men heires of the vengeance of God.

Boaz is glad to take the ad­uantage of his refusall; and holds that shooe (which was the signe of his tenure) more worth then all the land of Elimelec. And whereas other Wiues purchase their husbands, with a large dow­rie, this man purchaseth his wife, at a deare rate, and thinkes his bargaine happy; All the substance [Page 398] of the earth, is not worth a ver­tuous and prudent wife; which Boaz doth now so reioyce in, as if he this day onely began to be wealthy.

Now is Ruth taken into the house of Boaz; she, that before had said, she was not like one of his maidens, is now become their mistresse; This day she hath glea­ned all the fields and barnes of a rich husband; and (that there might be no want in her happi­nesse) by a gracious husband she hath gained an happy seede; and hath the honour, aboue all the dames of Israel, to be the great grandmother of a King, of Dauid, of the Messiah.

[Page 399] Now is Marah turn'd backe a­gaine to Naomi; and Orpah, if she heare of this in Moab, cannot but enuie at her sisters happines: Oh the sure and bountifull payments of the Almightie; Who euer came vnder his wing in vaine? Who euer lost by trusting him? Who euer forsooke the Moab of this world for the true Israel, and did not at last reioyce in the change.

Anna and Peninna.

ILL customes where they are once intertained are not easily discharged; Polygamie besides carnall delight might now plead age and exam­ple: so as euen Elkanah (though a Leuite) is tainted with the sinne of Lamech; Like as fashions of attire, which at the first were disliked as vncomely, yet when they are once growne common, are taken vp of the grauest: Yet this sinne (as then currant with the time) could not make Elkanah, not reli­gious; [Page 401] The house of God in Shilo was duely frequented of him; of­tentimes, alone, in his ordinary course of attendance; with all his males, thrise a yeare; and once a yeare, with all his familie; The continuance of an vnknowne sin cannot hinder the vprightnes of a mans heart with God; as a man may haue a mole vpon his backe, and yet thinke his skin cleare; the least touch of knowledge, or wil­fulnes marres his sincerity.

He that by vertue of his place was imploied about the sacrifices of o­thers, would much lesse neglect his own; It is a shame for him that teaches Gods people that they should not appeare before the Lord [Page 402] empty, to bring no sacrifice for himselfe. If Leuites be profane, who should be religious?

It was the fashion when they sacrificed, to feast; so did Elkanah; the day of his deuotion is the day of his triumph; he makes great cheere for his whole familie, e­uen for that wife which he loued lesse; There is nothing more comely, then cheerefulnes in the seruices of God; What is there in all the world, wherewith the hart of man should be so lift vp, as with the conscience of his dutie done to his maker? Whiles wee doe so, God doth to vs, as our glasse, smile vpon vs, while we smile on him.

[Page 403] Loue will be seen by entertain­ment; Peninnah and her children shall not complaine of want, but Anna shall finde her husbands af­fection in her portion; as his loue to her was double, so was her part; She fared not the worse, be­cause she was childlesse; no good husband will dislike his wife for a fault out of the power of her re­dresse: yea rather, that which might seeme to loose the loue of her husband, wins it, her barren­nesse; The good nature of Elkanah laboured by his deare respects, to recompence this affliction; that so she might finde no lesse contentment in the fruit of his hearty loue, then she had greife from hir owne fruitlesnesse; It [Page 404] is the property of true mercy, to be most fauorable to the weakest; Thus doth the gracious spouse of the Christian soule pittie the bar­rennesse of his seruants; O Saui­our, we should not finde thee so indulgent to vs, if wee did not complaine of our owne vnwor­thinesse: Peninnah may haue the more children but barren Annah hath the most loue; How much rather could Elkanah haue wished Peninnah barren; and Annah fruit­full; but if she should haue had both issue, and loue, she had been proud, and her riuall despised; God knowes how to disperse his fauours so, that euery one may haue cause both of thankfulnesse and humiliation; whiles there is [Page 405] no one that hath all, no one but hath some; If enuie and contempt were not thus equally tempered, some would be ouer hauty, and others too miserable; But now, euery man sees that in himselfe which is worthy of contempt, and matter of emulation in o­thers, and contrarily sees what to pittie and dislike in the most eminent, and what to applaud in himselfe, and out of this contra­rietie, arises a sweete meane of contentation.

The loue of Elkanah is so vnable to free Anna from the wrongs of her riuall, that it procures them rather; The vnfruitfulnesse of Anna had neuer with so [Page 406] much despight beene laid in her dish, if her husbands heart had been as barren of loue to her; Enuie though it take aduantage of our weakenesses, yet is euer raised vpon some grounds of happines, in them whom it emulates; It is euer an ill effect of a good cause: If Abels sacrifice had not beene accepted, and if the acceptation of his sacrifice had not beene a blessing, no enuie had followed vpon it.

There is no euill of another, wherein it is fit to reioyce, but his Enuie; and this is worthy of our ioy, and thankfulnesse, because it showes vs the price of that good, which wee had, and [Page 407] valued not; The malignitie of enuie is thus well answered, when it is made the euill cause of a good effect to vs; when God and our soules may gaine by anothers sinne. I do now finde that Anna insulted vpon Peninnah, for the greater measure of her husbands loue, as Peninna did vpon her, for her fruitfulnesse; Those that are truely gracious, know how to receiue the blessings of God, without contempt of them that want; and haue learned to bee thankefull, without o­uerlinesse.

Enuie when it is once concei­ued in a malicious heart, is like fire in billers of Iuniper, which [Page 408] (they say) continues more yeares then one; Euery yeare was Anna thus vexed with her emulous partner; and troubled, both in her praiers and meales; Amidst all their feastings, shee fed on nothing but her teares: Some dispositions are lesse sensible, and more carelesse of the dispight and [...]ties of others, and can turne ouer vnkinde vsages, with con­tempt; By how much more ten­der the heart is, so much more deeply is it euer affected with dis­curtesies▪ As waxe receiues and re­taines that impression, which in the hard clay cannot be seen; or, as the eie feeles that mote, which the skin of the eie-lid could not com­plain of: Yet the husband of Anna [Page 409] (as one that knew his dutie) la­bours by his loue, to comfort her against these discontentments, Why weepest thou? Am not I better to thee then ten sonnes? It is the weak­nesse of good natures, to giue so much aduantage to an enemie; what would malice rather haue then the vexation of them whom it persecutes? Wee cannot better please an aduersarie, then by hur­ting our selues; This is no other, then to humor enuie, to serue the turne of those, that maligne vs; and to draw on that malice, whereof we are weary; whereas carelesnesse puts ill will out of countenance; and makes it with­draw it selfe in a rage, as that which doth but shame the au­thor, [Page 410] without the hurt of the patient: In causelesse wrongs the best remedie is contempt.

She that could not finde com­fort in the louing perswasions of her husband, seeks it in her pray­ers; She rises vp hungry from the feast, and hyes her to the Temple; there shee powres out her teares, and supplications; Whatsoeuer the complaint be, here is the re­medie; There is one vniuersall re­ceit for all euills, prayer; When all helps faile vs, this remaines, and whiles wee haue an heart, com­forts it.

Here was not more bitternesse in the soule of Anna, then feruen­cie; [Page 411] shee did not onely weep and pray, but vow vnto God; If God will giue her a sonne, she will giue her sonne to God backe againe; Euen nature it selfe had consecra­ted her son to God; for he could not but be borne a Leuite; But if his birth make him a Leuite, her vow shal make him a Nazarite, & dedicate his minoritie to the Ta­bernacle; The way to obtaine any benefit, is to deuote it in our hearts, to the glory of that God, of whom wee aske it; by this meanes shall God both pleasure his seruant, and honour himselfe; Whereas, if the scope of our de­sires be carnall, wee may be sure either to faile of our suite, or of a blessing.

Ely and Anna.

OLd Ely sits on a stoole, by one of the posts of the Tabernacle; where should the Priests of God be but in the Tem­ple? whether for action or for ouer-sight; Their very presence keeps Gods house in order, and the presence of God keeps their hearts in order.

It is oft found that those which are themselues conscionable, are [Page 413] too forward to the censuring of others; Good Ely, because hee markes the lips of Annah to moue without noyse, chides her as drunken, and vncharitably mis­construes her deuotion; It was a weake ground whereon to build so heauie a sentence; If she had spoken too loude, and incompo­sedly, hee might haue had some iust colour for this conceit, but now to accuse her silence (not­withstanding all the teares which he saw) of drunkennesse, it was a zealous breach of charitie.

Some spirit would haue been enraged with so rash a censure; when anger meets with griefe, both turne into furie [...]; but [Page 414] this good woman had been inu­red to reproches, and besides, did well see the reproofe arose from mesprison, and the mesprison from zeale; and therefore an­swers meekly, as one that had ra­ther satisfie, then expostulate, Nay my Lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit; Hely may now learne charitie of Annah: If she had been in that distemper, whereof he ac­cused her, his iust reproofe had not been so easily digested; Guil­tinesse is commonly clamorous, and impatient, wheras innocence is silent, and carelesse of mis­reports; It is naturall vnto all men to wipe off from their name all aspersions of euill, but none doe it with such violence, as they [Page 415] which are faultie; It is a signe the horse is galled, that stirs too much when he is touched.

Shee that was censured for drunken, censures drunkennesse more deeply then her reprouer; Count not thine handmaid, for a daugh­ter of Belial; The drunkards stile begins in lawlesuesse, proceeds in vnprofitablenesse, ends in miserie; and all shut vp in the denomina­tion of this pedegree; A sonne of Belial.

If Hannah had been tainted with this sinne, she would haue denied it with more fauour, and haue disclaimed it with an exte­nuation; What if I should haue [Page 416] been merrie with wine, yet I might bee deuout? If I should haue ouer-ioyed in my sacrifice to God, one cup of excesse had not been so haynous; now her freedome is seene in her seueritie; Those which haue cleare hearts from any sinne, prosecute it with rigour; whereas the guiltie are euer partiall; their conscience holds their hands, and tells them that they beat themselues, whiles they punish others.

Now Hely sees his error, and recants it; and to make amends for his rash censure, prayes for her; Euen the best may erre, but not persist in it; When good na­tures haue offended, they are vn­quiet [Page 417] till they haue hastned sa­tisfaction; This was within his office, to pray for the distressed; Wherefore serues the Priest but to sacrifice for the people; and the best sacrifices are the prayers of faith.

Shee that began her prayers with fasting, and heauinesse, rises vp from them with cheereful­nesse, and repast: It cannot bee spoken, how much ease and ioy the heart of man findes in hauing vnloaded his cares, and powred out his supplications into the eares of God; since it is well assured, that the suite which is faithfully asked, is al­ready granted in heauen: The [Page 418] conscience may well rest, when it tells vs, that wee haue neglected no meanes of redressing our affli­ction; for then it may resolue to looke either for amendment, or patience.

The sacrifice is ended, and now Elkanah, and his familie rise vp early, to returne vnto Ramah; but they dare not set forward, till they haue worshipped before the Lord; That iourney cannot hope to prosper, that takes not God with it; The way to receiue bles­sings at home, is to be deuout at the Temple.

She that before conceiued faith in her heart, now conceiues a [Page 419] sonne in her wombe; God will rather worke miracles then faith­full prayers shall returne empty: I doe not finde that Peninna asked any sonne of God, yet she had store; Anna begged hard for this one; and could not till now ob­taine him: They which are dea­rest to God doe oft-times with great difficultie worke out those blessings, which fall into the mouthes of the carelesse: That wise disposer of all things knowes it fit to hold vs short of those fa­uours which we sue for; whether for the tryall of our patience, or the exercise of our faith, or the increase of our importunitie, or the doubling of our obligation.

[Page 420] Those children are most like to proue blessings, which the Pa­rents haue begged of God; and which are no lesse the fruit of our supplications, then of our bodie; As this childe was the sonne of his mothers prayers, and was conse­crated to God ere his possibilitie of being; so now himselfe shall know, both how hee came, and whereto hee was ordeined; and lest hee should forget it, his very name shall teach him both; (She called his name Samuel); Hee can­not so much as heare himselfe na­med, but hee must needs remem­ber both the extraordinarie mer­cie of God in giuing him to a bar­ren mother; and the vow of his mother in restoring him backe to [Page 421] God by her zealous dedication; and by both of them learne holi­nesse, and obedience: There is no necessitie of significant names; but wee cannot haue too many monitors to put vs in minde of our dutie.

It is wont to be the fathers pri­uiledge to name his childe; but because this was his mothers son, begotten more by her prayers, then the seed of Elkanah, it was but reason, she should haue the chiefe hand both in his name▪ and disposing; It had been in­deed in the power of Elkanah, to haue changed both his name, and profession, and to abro­gate the vow of his wife; [Page 422] that wiues might know, they were not their owne; and that the rib might learne to know the head; but husbands shall a­buse their authoritie, if they shall wilfully crosse the holy purpo­ses, and religious indeuours of their yoke-fellowes; How much more fit is it for them to cherish all good desires in the weaker vessells; and as we vse, when wee carrie a small light in a winde, to hide it with our lap, or hand, that it may not goe out; If the wife bee a Vine, the husband should be an Elme to vphold he [...] in all worthy enterprises; Els [...] shee falls to the ground, an [...] proues fruitlesse.

[Page 423] The yeere is now come about; and Elkanah calls his familie to their holy iourney; to goe vp to Ierusalem, for the aniuersarie solemnity of their sacrifice; Annaes heart is with them, but she hath a good excuse to stay at home, the charge of her Samuel; her successe in the Temple, keeps her happily from the Temple; that her deuotion may bee doubled, because it was respited: God knowes how to dispense with ne­cessities; but, if we suffer idle and needlesse occasions to hold vs from the Tabernacle of God, our hearts are but hollow to religion.

Now at last, when the childe was weaned from her hand, she [Page 424] goes vp, and payes her vow, and with it, payes the interest of her intermission: Neuer did Anna go vp with so glad an heart to Shilo, as now that she carries God this reasonable present, which him­selfe gaue to her, and she vowed to him; accompanied with the bountie of other sacrifices, more in number and measure, then the Law of God required of her; and all this, is too little for her God, that so mercifully remem­bred her affliction, and miracu­lously remedied it; Those hearts which are truly thankfull, doe no lesse reioyce in their re­payment, then in their receit; and doe as much studie, how to show their humble and feruent [Page 425] affections, for what they haue, as how to compasse fauours when they want them; Their debt is their burden, which when they haue discharged, they are at ease.

If Anna had repented of her vow, and not presented her son to the Tebernacle, Ely could not haue challenged him; He had on­ly seen her lips stir, not hearing the promise of her heart; It was enought, that her owne soule knew her vow, and God which was greater then it; The obligati­on of a secret vow is no lesse, then if it had ten thousand witnesses.

Old Hely could not choose but much reioyce to see this fruit [Page 426] of those lips, which he thought moued with wine; and this good proofe, both of the mercifull au­dience of God, and the thankfull fidelity of his handmaide; this sight calls him down to his knees (He worshipped the Lord); We are vnprofitable witnesses of the mer­cies of God, and the graces of men, if we do not glorifie him for others sakes, no lesse then for our owne.

Hely and Anna grew now better acquainted; neither had he so much cause to praise God for her, as she aftewards for him; For if her owne praiers obtained her first childe; his blessing inriched her with fiue more; If she had not [Page 427] giuen her first sonne to God, ere she had him; I doubt, whether she had not been euer barren; or if shee had kept her Samuel at home, whether euer she had con­ceiued againe; now that piety which stripped her of her onely childe, for the seruice of her God, hath multiplied the fruit of her wombe, and gaue her fiue for that one, which was still no lesse hers, because he was Gods: There is no so certaine way of increase, as to lend, or giue vnto the owner of all things.

Ely and his Sonnes.

IF the conueyances of grace were naturall; holy parents would not be so ill suted with children: What good man would not rather wish his loynes drie, then fruitfull of wickednesse? Now, wee can neither traduce goodnes, nor choose but traduce sinne; If vertue were as well in­tailed vpon vs, as sin, one might serue to checke the other in our children; but now since grace is deriued from heauen on whom­soeuer [Page 429] it pleases the giuer, and that euill which ours receiue he­reditarily from vs, is multiplied by their owne corruption, it can be no wonder that good men haue ill children, it is rather a wonder that any children are not euill: The sonnes of Ely are as lewde, as himselfe was holy; If the goodnesse of ex­amples, precepts, education, profession could haue beene pre­seruatiues from extremitie of sin, these sonnes of an holy father had not beene wicked; now, nei­ther parentage, nor breeding, nor priesthood can keepe the sonnes of Hely from sonnes of Belial; If our children bee good, let vs thanke God for it; this [Page 430] was more then wee could giue them; if euill they may thanke vs, and themselues; vs, for their birth-sinne, themselues for the improuement of it to that height of wickednesse.

If they had not been sonnes of Ely, yet being Priests of God, who would not haue hoped their very calling should haue infused some holinesse into them; but now, euen their white Ephod couers foule sinnes; yea rather, if they which serue at the alter degene­rate, their wickednesse is so much more aboue others, as their place is holier; A wicked Priest is the worst creature vpon earth; Who are Diuels but they which were [Page 431] once Angels of light? Who can stumble at the sinnes of the Euan­gelicall Leuites, that sees such in­puritie euen before the Arke of God? That God which promised to be the Leuites portion, had set forth the portion of his Ministers; he will feast them at his owne al­tar; The breast and the right shoulder of the peace offering was their morsell; these bold and couetous Priests will rather haue the flesh-hock their arbiter, then God; whatsoeuer those three teeth fasten vpon, shall bee for their tooth; They were weary of one ioynt, and now their delicacy affects variety; God is not wor­thy to carue for these men, but their owne hands; And this they [Page 432] do not receiue, but take; and take violently, vnseasonably; It had beene fit God should be first ser­ued; their presumption will not stay his leasure; ere the fat bee burned, ere the flesh be boiled, they snatch more then their share from the altar; as if the God of heauen should waite on their pa­late; as if the Israelites had come thither to sacrifice to their bellies; and (as commonly a wanton tooth is the harbinger to luxu­rious wantonnesse) they are no sooner fed, then they neigh after the dames of Israel; Holy wo­men assemble to the doore of the Tabernacle; these varlets tempt them to lust, that came thither for deuotion; they had wiues of [Page 433] their owne, yet their vnbridled desires roue after strangers, and feare not to pollute euen that ho­ly place with abominable filthi­nesse, O sinnes, to shamefull for men; much more for the spiritu­all guides of Israel! He that makes himselfe a seruant to his tooth, shall easily become a slaue to all inordinate affections: That altar which expiated other mens sins, added to the sinnes of the sacrifi­cers; Doubtlesse many a soule was the cleaner for the bloud of the sacrifices, which they shed, whiles their owne were more im­pure; And as the altar cannot san­ctifie the Preist, so the vncleannes of the minister cannot pollute the offering; because the vertue [Page 434] thereof is not in the agent, but in the institution; in the representa­tion his sinne is his owne; the comfort of the sacrament is from God; Our clergy is no charter for heauen; Euen those whose trade is deuotion, may at once show the way to heauen by their tongue, and by their foot lead the way to hell; It is neither a coule, nor an Ephod that can pri­ueledge the soule.

The sinne of these men was worthy of contempt, yea perhaps their persons; but for the peo­ple therefore to abhorre the of­frings of the Lord, was to adde their euill vnto the Priests; and to offend God, because hee was [Page 435] offended; There can no of­fence be iustly taken, euen at men; much lesse at God for the sake of men: No mans sinnes should bring the seruice of God into dislike; this is to make holy thinges guiltie of our profane­nesse: It is a daungerous igno­rance not to distinguish betwixt the worke, and the instrument; whereupon it oft comes to passe, that we fall out with God, be­cause we finde cause of offence from men; and giue God iust cause to abhorre vs, because wee abhorre his seruice vniustly. Al­though it be true (of great men especially) that they are the last that know the euils of their owne house, yet either it could [Page 436] not be, when all Israel rung of the lewdnesse of Elyes sonnes, that he onely should not know it, or if he knew it not, his ignorance cannot be excused; for a seasona­ble restraint might haue pre­uented this extremitie of debau­chednesse. Complaints are long muttered of the great, ere they dare breake forth to open conte­station; publique accusations of authoritie argues intollerable ex­tremities of euill; nothing but age can pleade for Ely, that hee was not the first accuser of his sonnes; now when their enor­mities came to be the voice of the multitude, he must heare it per­force; and doubtlesse hee heard it with greife enough, but not [Page 437] with anger enough; he that was the iudge of Israel, should haue vnpartially iudged his own flesh, and blood; neuer could he haue offered a more pleasing sacrifice, then the depraued blood of so wicked sonnes; In vaine do wee rebuke those sinnes abroad, which we tolerate at home; That man makes himselfe but ridi­culous, that leauing his owne house on fire, runnes to quench his neighbours.

I heard Ely sharpe enough to Annah, vpon but a suspicion of sinne; and now, how milde I finde him to the notorious crimes of his owne? Why doe you so my sonnes: it is no good report; my sonnes [Page 438] do no more so; The case is altered with the persons; if nature may be allowed to speake in iudge­ment, and to make difference, not of sinnes but offenders, the sentence must needes sauour of partialitie; Had these men but some little slackened their dutie, or heedlesly omitted some rite of the sacrifice, this censure had not beene vnfit; but to punish the thefts, rapines, sacriledges, a­dulteries, incests of his sonnes, with Why do yee so, was no other then to s [...]aue that head, which had deserued cutting off; As it is with ill humors, that a weak dose doth but stirre, and anger them, not purge them out; so it fareth with sinnes; An easie reproofe [Page 439] doth but incourage wickednesse, and makes it thinke it selfe so sleight, as that censure impor­teth; A vehement rebuke to a ca­pitall euill, is but like a strong shower to a ripe fielde; which laies that corne which were wor­thy of a sickle. It is a breach of iustice not to proportionate the punishment to the offence; To whip a man for a murder, or to punish the purse for incest, or to burne treason in the hand, or to award the stocks to burglairy, is to patronize euill, in steed of a­uenging it; Of the two ex­tremes, rigor is more safe for the publique weale, because the ouer-punishing of one of­fender frights many from sin­ning: [Page 440] It is better to liue in a common-welth where nothing is lawfull, then where euery thing.

Indulgent Parents are cruell to themselues, and their posteritie Ely could not haue deuised which way to haue plagued himselfe, and his house so much, as by his kindnesse to his childrens sinnes; what variety of iudgements doth he now heare of from the mes­senger of God? First, because his old age (which vses to be subiect to choler), inclined now to mis­fauor his sonnes, therefore, there shall not be an old man left of his house for euer; and because it vexed him not enough, to see his [Page 441] sonnes enemies to God in their profession, therefore he shall see his enemie in the habitation of the Lord; and because himselfe forbore to take vengeance of his sons, and esteemed their life aboue the glory of his Master, therefore God will reuenge himselfe, by killing them both in one day; and because he abused his soueraigntie by conniuence at sinne, therefore shall his house be stripped of this honor, and see it translated to an­other; and lastly, because he suf­fered his sonnes to please their owne wanton appetite, in taking meat off from Gods trencher, therfore, those which remaine of his house shall come to his suc­cessors, to beg a piece of siluer, [Page 442] and a morsell of bread; in a word, because hee was partiall to his sonnes, God shall execute all this seuerely vpon him, and them: I doe not read of any fault Ely had, but indulgence; and which of the notorious offenders were plagued more? Parents need no other meanes to make them mi­serable, then sparing the rod.

Who should be the bearer of these fearefull tidings to Ely, but yong Samuel, whom himselfe had trained vp; He was now growne past his mothers cotes, fit for the message of God; Old Ely rebuked not his yong sonnes, therefore yong Samuel is sent to rebuke him; I maruell not whiles the Priest­hood [Page 443] was so corrupted, if the word of God were precious, if there were no publike vision; It is not the manner of God to grace the vnworthy; The ordinarie ministration in the Temple was too much honor for those that robbed the Altar, though they had no extraordinarie reuelati­ons; Hereupon it was, that God lets old Hely sleep (who slept in his sinne) and awakes Samuel, to tell him what hee would do with his master: Hee which was wont to be the mouth of God to the people, must now receiue the message of God, from the mouth of another; As great persons will not speake to those, with whom they are highly offended, but [Page 444] send them their checks by others

The lights of the Temple were now dim, and almost ready to giue place to the morning, when God called Samuel; to sig­nifie perhaps, that those which should haue been the lights of Israel, burned no lesse dimly, and were neere their going out, and should be succeeded with one, so much more lightsome then they, as the Sunne was more bright then the lampes: God had good leasure to haue deliuered this message by day, but hee meant to make vse of Samuels mistaking; and therfore so speaks, that Ely may bee asked for an answer, and perceiue himselfe [Page 445] both omitted, and censured; He that meant to vse Samuels voice to Ely, imitates the voice of Ely to Samuel; Samuel had so accu­stomed himselfe to obedience, and to answer the call of Ely, that lying in the further cells of the Leuites, hee is easily raised from his sleep; and euen in the night runs for his message, to him, who was rather to receiue it from him: Thrice is the old man disquieted with the dili­gence of his seruant, and, tho vi­sions were rare in his daies, yet is hee not so vnacquainted with God, as not to attribute that voyce to him, which himselfe heard not; Wherefore like a better Tutor then a Parent, [Page 446] he teaches Samuel what hee shall answer, Speake Lord, for thy seruant heareth.

It might haue pleased God at the first call to haue deliuered his message to Samuel, not expecting the answer of a nouice vnseene in the visions of a God; yet doth he rather defer it till the fourth sum­mons, and will not speake till Samuel confessed his audience: God loues euer to prepare his ser­uants for his imployments, and will not commit his errands, but to those, whom he hath addressed both by wonder, and attention, and humilitie.

Ely knew well the gracious fa­shion [Page 447] of God, that where hee in­tended a fauour, prorogation could be no hinderance; and therefore after the call of God, thrice answered with silence, he instructs Samuel to be ready for the fourth: If Samuels silence had been wilfull, I doubt whether he had been againe solicited; now God doth both pittie his error, and requite his diligence by re­doubling his name at the last.

Samuel had now many yeeres ministred before the Lord, but neuer till now heard his voice; and now heares it with much terror; for the first word that he heares God speake, is threatning, and that of vengeance to his [Page 448] master; What were these mena­ces but so many premonitions to himselfe that should succeed Ely? God begins early to season their harts with feare, whom he means to make eminent instruments of his glory; It is his mercie to make vs witnesses of the iudgments of others, that wee may be forewar­ned, ere we haue the occasions of sinning.

I do not heare God bid Samuel deliuer this message to Ely; Hee that was but now made a Pro­phet, knowes, that the errands of God intend not silence; and that God would not haue spoken to him of another, if he had meant the newes should be reserued to himselfe: Neither yet did he run [Page 449] with open mouth vnto Ely, to tell him this vision, vnasked; No wise man will be hastie to bring ill tidings to the great; rather doth hee stay till the importu­nitie of his Master should wring it from his vnwillingnesse; and then, as his concealement showd his loue, so his full relation shall approue his fidelitie: If the heart of Ely had not told him this newes, before God told it Sa­muel, hee had neuer been so in­stant with Samuel, not to con­ceale it; His conscience did well presage that it concerned himselfe; Guiltinesse needs no Prophet to assure it of punish­ment: The minde that is trou­bled proiecteth terrible things; [Page 450] and though it cannot single out the iudgment allotted to it, yet it is in a confused expectation of some grieuous euill: Surely, Ely could not thinke it worse then it was; The sentence was fearefull, and such as I wonder the necke, or the heart of old Ely could hold out the report of; That God sweares he will iudge Elyes house; and that with beggerie, with death, with desolation; and that the wickednes of his house shall not be purged with sacrifice, or offrings for euer; And yet, this which euery Israelites eare should tingle to heare of, when it should be done, old Ely heares with an vnmoued patience, and humble submission, It is the Lord, let him [Page 451] doe what seemeth him good; Oh ad­mirable faith, and more then humane constancie and resolu­tion, worthy of the aged presi­sident of Shiloh, worthy of an heart sacrificed to that God, whose iustice had refused to ex­piate his sinne by sacrifice: If Ely haue been an ill father to his sonnes, yet he is a good sonne to God, and is ready to kisse the very rod hee shall smart withall; It is the Lord, whom I haue euer found holy, and iust, and graci­ous, and hee cannot but be him­selfe; Let him doe what seemeth him good; for whatsoeuer see­meth good to him, cannot but bee good; howsoeuer it seemes to me: Euery man can open [Page 452] his hand to God while hee blesses; but to expose our selues willingly to the afflicting hand of our maker, and to kneele to him whiles he scourges vs, is pe­culiar only to the faithfull.

If euer a good heart could haue freed a man, from temporall punishments, Ely must needs haue escaped; Gods anger was appeased by his humble repen­tance, but his iustice must be sa­tisfied; Elyes sinne and his sons, was in the eye and mouth of all Israel, his glorie therefore should haue been much wronged by their impunitie: Who would not haue made these spirituall guides an example of lawlesnes? [Page 453] and haue said; What care I how I liue, if Elyes sonnes goe away vnpunished? As not the teares of Ely, so not the words of Sa­muel may fall to the ground; Wee may not measure the dis­pleasure of God by his stripes; many times, after the remission of the sinne, the very chastise­ments of the Almightie are dead­ly; No repentance can assure vs that wee shall not smart with outward afflictions: That, can preuent the eternall displeasure of God; but still it may be ne­cessarie and good wee should be corrected: Our care and suite must be, that the euills which shall not be auerted, may be san­ctified.

[Page 454] If the prediction of these euils were fearefull, what shall the exe­cution be? The presumption of the ill-taught Israelites shall giue occasion to this iudgement; for being smitten before the Phi­listims, they send for the Arke into the field; Who gaue them authority to commaund the Arke of God at their pleasure? Here was no consulting with the Arke, which they would fetch; no inquiry of Samuel whether they should fetch it; but an hed­die resolution of presumptuous Elders to force God into the field, and to challenge successe: If God were not with the Arke, why did they send for it, and reioyce in the comming of it? [Page 455] If God were with it, why was not his allowance asked that it should come? How can the peo­ple bee good where the Preists are wicked? When the Arke of the couenant of the Lord of hosts that dwells betweene the Cherubims, was brought into the host (tho with meane and wicked attendance) Israel doth, as it were, fill the heauen, and shake the earth with shoutes; as if the Arke and victory were no lesse vnseparable, then they and their sinnes; Euen the leudest men will be looking for fauour from that God, whom they ca­red not to displease, contrary to the conscience of their deser­uings; Presumption doth the same [Page 456] in wicked men, which faith doth in the holiest; Those that re­garded not the God of the Arke, thinke themselues safe and hap­pie in the Arke of God; vaine men are transported with a con­fidence in the out-sides of reli­gion, not regarding the sub­stance and soule of it, which on­ly can giue them true peace; But rather then God will humor su­perstition in Israelites, he will suf­fer his owne Arke to fall into the handes of Philistims; Rather will he seeme to slacken his hand of protection, then hee will bee thought to haue his hands bound by a formall mis-confidence. The slaughter of the Israelites was no plague to this; It was [Page 457] a greater plague rather to them that should suruiue, and be­hold it. The two sonnes of E­ly which had helped to cor­rupt their brethren, die by the handes of the vncircumcised, and are now too late separated from the Arke of God by Phi­listims, which should haue been before separated by their fa­ther; They had liued former­lie to bring Gods altar into con­tempt, and now liue to carrie his Arke into captiuitie, and at last, as those that had made vp the measure of their wickednesse are slayne in their sinne.

[Page 458] Ill newes doth euer either run, or flie; The man of Beniamin, which ran from the host, hath soone filled the City with out­cries; and Elyes eares with the crie of the City; The good old man after ninety and eight yeares, sits in the gate, as one that neuer thought himselfe too aged to do God seruice; and heares the newes of Israels discomfiture, and his sonnes death, though with sorrow, yet with patience; but, when the messenger tells him of the Arke of God taken, he can liue no longer, that word strikes him downe backward from his throne, and kills him in the fall; no sword of a Philistim could haue slaine him more painefully, nei­ther [Page 459] know I, whether his necke, or his heart were first broken: Oh fearefull iudgement, that euer any Israelites eare could tingle withall; The Arke lost; what good man would wish to liue without God? Who can choose but think he hath liued too long, that hath ouerliued the Testimo­nies of Gods presence with his Church? Yea the very daughter in law of Ely, a woman, the wife of a lewd husband, when she was at once trauelling (vpon that ti­dings) and in that trauell, dying (to make vp the full summe of Gods iudgement vpon that wic­ked house) as one insensible of the death of her father, of her husband, of her selfe, in compa­rison [Page 460] of this losse, calls her (then vnseasonable) sonne, Ichabod; and with her last breath saies, The glorie is departed from Israel; The Arke is taken: what cares she for a posterity, which should want the Arke? What cares she for a sonne, come into the world of Israel, when God was gone from it? and how willingly doth she depart from them, from whom God was departed? Not outward magnificence, not state, not wealth, not fauour of the mightie, but the presence of God in his Ordinances, are the glory of Israel; the subducing whereof is a greater iudgement, then destruction.

[Page 461] Oh Israel, worse now then no people; a thousand times more miserable then Philistims; Those Pagans went away triumphing with the Arke of God, and victorie; and leaue the remnants of the chosen people to lament, that they once had a God:

Oh cruell and wicked indulgence, that is now found guiltie of the death, not onlie of the Priests, and people, but of Religion. Vniust mercie can neuer end in lesse then bloud, and it were well if onlie the bodie should haue cause to com­plaine of that kinde crueltie.