1018 [ontemptations,. r, I ~.X ll. fiims: What doe rhefe men now, but fend the plague of God to rh; ir fdlowes ~ A The jullice <;>fGod can make the fins ofmen their mutual! executioners . It is the fafhion ofwicked men to draw their neighbours into rhe parrner01ip oftheir con• demnation. Wherefoever the Arke goes,there is dellrutlion ; The bell ofGods ordinances if they be not properro us, are de;~dl y. The Ifraelites did not more OlOut for joy; when they faw the Arke come to them, then rhe Ekromtes cry our for griefeto fee itbrought amongll.rhem: Spiritual! things are either foveraign, or hurrfull, accordmg w the dtfpofinon ofthe rewvers. The Arke doth etther fave,or kill,as it is en. renamed. Atlall:, when the Philillim~arewell weary ofpaine and death, they are glad 10 be qmr ofthetr fin :The voyce ofrhe Pnnces and people is changed ro the better, B (Send away the Arke ofthe God ofifrae!,and let it rerurne to his owneplace. )God knowes how to bnng the llubbornndt enemy upon hts knees , and makes him doe that out offeare,which his bell child would doe out oflove and duty. How miferablewas theellareofthefe Philillims ~Every man was either dead, or lick: rhofe that were left living (through their exrremitie ofpain) envied the dead, and the cry oftheir whole Cities went up to heaven. Ir is happv that God bath fuch llore of plagues and thunderbolts for the wicked :Ifhe had nor a fire of judgement,whereWith the yron hearts of men mrght be made flexrble, he would wam obedience, and theworld peace. The cArk!s re'llenge ami returne. T had wont to be a fure rule,Wherefoever Godis among men,there is the Church: Here only it failed:The tellimony ofGodsprefence was many monerhs amongfl: the Philillims, for a punifhmem to his owne people, whom he left, for a curfe to rhofe forrainers which entertained it; Ifrael wasfeven monethswirhour Goa: How doe werhinke c filirhfull Sam11rl rook this abfence~How defolate and forlorn did the Tabernacle of God look, wirhoutthe Arke ~ Therewere llill the AlrarsofGod ; his Priells, Levires,Tables,Veiles,Cenfers, with all the legal! acoullrements: Thefe withoutthe Arke, wereas the Sunne without light, in the mid!l ofan Eclipfe: If all thefe D had beene taken away, and onelythe Arke had beene remaining, the lotfe had beeoe nothing to this, that the Arke fhould be gone, and they lefr: For what are all thefe without God, and how all-fufficienr is God without rhefc ~ There are times, wherein God wirhdrawes himfelfe from his Church, and feemes to leave her without comfort, without proretlion : Sometimes we Ou.ll 6nde Ifrael taken from theArke, orherwhiles the Arke is taken from Ifrael: In either, there is a feparation betwixt the Arke and !frad: Heavy timesro every true Jfradire, yet fuch as whofe example may relieve us in our defertions: Still was this people, Ifrael;the feed ofhim, that would not be left ofGod without a !::Idling; and therefore without the rellimonyofhis prefence, was God prefent with them: Tt were wide with the faithfull,if God were nor ofremimes with them,when there is no wirnetfe ofhis E prefence. · One at! was. a mutua !I penance to the Tfraelites and Philiflims, I know nor to whether more: Ifrael grieved for the lolfeofthat,whofe prefence grioved the Philiflims,their painewas therefore no other then voluntary: It is llrauge, rhatthe Phi- . liflimswould endure feven montths fmarrwirh the Arke, Jincethq faw, that the , prefence ofthe Prifooerwould notrequite,nonor mirig:ue to them,one houres mi- ' fery : Fooliflr men will be llrugling with God, till they be utterly either breathletfe or impotent.Their hope was, rhattime might abate difpleafure, even whiles they ! perfilled to offend:The falfe hopes ofworldly men cofl them deare; they could nor be fo miferablc,iftheir own heartS did nor deceive them with mif-expecbtions of impoflible fJvour. ' fu
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