ll Contemplacions. THE TvVELFTH BOOK£. ~r he .llri(: andVagon. F men did not mifbke God, they could not arife to fuch heightof impiery: The aClsofhis jufi judgemenrare imputed to Impotence; that God would fend his Arke captiverothePhilifiims,is fo confirued bythdrn,as ifhe could not keep it: the wife of Pilinea cryed our, that glory was departed from Ifrael ; The Philifiims dare lity in triumph, that glory is departed froln rhe Cod of Ifrael: The Arke w:1s not lfrads,bnr Gods; this victory reaches higher then to men. Dagon had ne1·crfogreat a day, fo mJny facrificcs as now that he feemes to take the God of Jf,•ad prifon~r : Where fl10uld the D cap~ive be beflowed, bm incufiody ofthe viCtor ~It is notlove, but infultation, that lodges the Arke clofe befide Dagon. What a fpeCladcwas this, to fee uncircumcifed Philifiims laying their profane hands upon the Tefiimony ofGods prefence! to fee the glorious Mercy-feat under the roofofan Idoho fee the two Cherubins fpreadino thhr wings under a falfe god ~ Oh the deep~nd·holy wifedome ofthe Almighty,which over-reaches all the finite conceits ofhis creatures,who whiles he feems moll to rieglec1 Himfelf, fetches about moll glory to his owne name ; he winks and firs fiill on purpofe,to fee what men would doe,and is content to fuflCr indignity fi-om his creature, for a rime, that he maybe everlaf\ingly magnified in his juf\ice, and power: That honourpleafeth God and men befl, which is raifed out ofcontempt. E ihe Ark ofGod was not ufed to fuch Porters; The Philifiims carry it unto Afltdod, that the vietorie ofDagon may be more glorious: What paines Superfiirion putsmen unto for the triumph ofa falfe caufe ! And ifprofane Philifiims can think it no toyle to can y the Ark where they fhould nor, what a fltame is it for us, ifwe doe not gladly attend it where we fhould ~ How juftly may Gods truth fcornethe imparitie ofour zeale-: If the Ifratlires did put confidence in the Arke, can we marvell that the Pliiliflims did pur cohfidencein that power, which (as they thought) had conquered the Arke ~ The leffe is ever fubjeCI unto the greater; What could rhey now rhink but that heaven and earth were theirs! Who !hall fiand Out againfi them, when the Godoflfr:tel hath yeelded! S~curitieand prefumprion 2ttend ever at the threfhold ofruine. ~----------------------~~9~ 4 God IOl5 I
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