ASermon preached This, how gr~~t a benefititis, it: is not (it may be) the hell Way Gm · ply to informe our !elves, by Non erat IJ?.!x. Nodimply. hut-fure t • us as our nature is, to us1fay, there is no way better. It is an old obJ fei:vation,_(bUt ~x_perience daily renewcth it) that ofCarendo magis qutlm frumd&: Wbat-1t ts to l>al>e, no better 'll>ay, to make us truly to rvalue,thanb f~elin.g a 'li>IJi/e, how great a plague it is to bee witl>out. Our nature fure? is more fenlible that way, and never takc:th perfect impreffion oFrh!t ~e ~?joy, but by the privati~n or want; ~or m~d~r~andeth throughly (m lms dtebUJ eft) now there IS one, but by thofe (m tilts non erat.) And that is our verfe. . Of~hich, this is the: occalion. The Book ofthe Iud!J,ei,a~dtheellate ofth~ Iuages now growing to an end, the Holy Ghoft herebeginneth to 111ak~ a.palfage, to the ellate and Bookes ofrh~ l(ings. To which !late, this Chapter (and fo to the end of the booke) is a preparative or imro~ duaion : to !hew, that now the time was at hand. ' ' " · ~en. 17 .6. Th~re !houldbel(ings.of his race, Goo1firlhol~ a.Abrall4m,byway bGen·~9~ ofpromt{e. That rhofe I(tngs !hould comeofluda, and the b Scepter be 10 ' his, !acob foretold, by wayofprophecie. The dutieofthofel(ings, againll ~Dcut.I7. theumc:came,wasfetdowneby cMofis, byway ofprel>ijionlong be~ ~ore. This !hewed, I(ings there !hould be. i .iEcci+I; But an things ha-ve a time, faith d Salomon ; and time hath a fulneffi~ ,<sal.++ faith <Saint Paul. And till that time, it is not ondy; a folly, but a fault; fiudg.8.u. to prelfe things out offeafon: We fee, offer was twicemade to f Ge•. t 9· 2 • deon,totakeit: by g.Abzmelech,togetit: bothcametonothingithc:time was not yet COtJie. But llill, as the time drew neere,.every thingdid eo~ operate, every thing made '!lay, and gave ~ccafion, ~o the purp?fi: ~ Gob. -'~ _,_ · ~ 'rh· SIIIIIIIH; And now here, in this Chapter, is fet downe the verylldl ~cafiotl; Verfe ~. on which G o Dfirlt milfc:th I(ings : that, for all the Iudges, one Micab) a private man ofMount Ephraim, he and his old mother, it tooke then1 in the heads 1 theywould have a new religion bythemfelves; and that w~ ycrfc s. plaine Idolatry : and up with an !doll they went. And becaufe they l~c:.' ked a Priefl, it came into Micah'shead, to give Orders; and fo he dtd. Why, could he be fuftered ? Itwas and then commeth in thisVerfe, This "11146 all for il>ant of aI(ing. And when he had done with this, be goeth to another; and when with that, to a third, diforder upon diforder. And Chap, 1 s. 1 • llill at the end ofevery one this commeth in, All tbefe, becatife t~ere 11>46 no ·• 1·'5· I(ing. Which all is nothing elfe, but aPreparati"Ve againll che ~tmecam:, 1 ' 19 ' that GoD !hould give I(ings; that they might with joy recetvethathts gift,and with thankc:scele~rat,l: it,fromy~~ ~o year~ : d~a~~cd9 noV!! And this is theSumme. . Three ' .__--- ......
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