LIB. XII. 'I'he ~r~s re)Jenge and retHrne. A In matters thatconcetne a God,who is fo fir to be confulted with,>Sthe pridls~ The Princes ofthe Phi[illims had before given their voices, yet norhing.is determined, nothing is done without the direllion and affem of thole whom they accounted facred : Nature it felffends us in divine things,to thofe perfons,whofe calling is divine: It is either difl:rufi, or prefumprion, or contempt, that c:uries us our owm: wayes in fpirituall ma.trcrs,withomadvifing with rhem1whofe lips God ha.rh appointed tO preferve knowledge: There cannot but arife many difficulties in us about the Arke ofGod; whom nlottld WC co"nfult with but thofe which have the Tongue ofthe Learned~ Doubtleffe, this quellion ofthe Arke did abide much debatimg : There wanted not faire probabilitieson both fides: Awife Philillim might well plead,IfGod had B either fo great care ofthe Arke,or power to retain ir,how is it becomeours-: A wifer then hewould reply, Ifthe God oflfratl had wanted either care or power, Dagon and we had been llill whole: why doe we rhus grone, and dye, all that are bur within the aire ofthe Arke, ifadivine hand doe not attend it~ Their finarr pleads enough f0rthe difmiflion ofrhe Arke:The next demand ofrheir Priells and Soorhfayers,is,how it n10uld be fem home:Afllitlion had made them fo wife,as to know, that every falhion ofparting with the Arke would nor fatisfie the owner: oftentimes the circum!bnce ofan action mars the fubll:ance; In divine matters we mult not one!y !ooke, that the body ofour fervice be found, bur that the clothes be fit : Nothing hinders,but that fou:orimes good advice may f.1ll from themouth ofwicked men. Thefe fuperllitiou• Priclls can counfell them, not to fend away the Arke c ofGod empry, burrogive it a fin-offering: They had not lived fo f1rre from rh~ fmoke ofthe Jewift1 Altars, but that they knew, God was accullomed to manifold oblations,and chiefly to thofeofexpiarion.No Ifraelitecould havefaid better: Superfiition is the Ape oftrue devotion,and ifwe look not to theground ofboth,many times it is hard by theveryoutward aCts to dillinguilh them: Nature it ~lf reacheth us,that God loves a full hand: He that hath J?een fo bonntifull to us,as to give us all,looks for a returne offomeoffering from tJ<; Ifwe prefenr him wirh nothing bur our fins,how can we look to be accepted~ The facrifices under the Gof]Jd are fpirituall,with thefe mull we come into the prefence ofGod, ifwe ddire to carry away remiflion and favour. . The Philiflims knewwell, that it were boode(fe for them to offer, what they D tilled ; their next fuit is to be diretled in the mm'er _of their oblation : Pagans can reach us, how tmfafe it is towalke in the wayes ofReligion wirhout a guide, yet here thdr bell teachers can burgueffe at their duty, and mull devife for the people that, which rhe peopledurll not impofe upon rhemfelves: The golden Emerods: and Mife, were but conjecturall prefcripts: With what fecurity may we confult with them \•ihich have their direCtions from the mouth and hand of the Alm~h~ hruck the Philillims or once in their god, in their bodies, in their land : In their god, by his tuine and difmembering: In their bodies, by rh~ Emerods: In their land, by the mife: That bafe vermine did God fend among them on purpofe to lhame their Dagori and them, that they might fee, how unable their god was E (\\>hich they thought the Vitlor of the Arke J to fi1bdue the leJfiMoufe, which the ttue God did create, and command to plague them.This plague upon rheir ~elds, began together with that upori thei\ bodies: it was mentioned, not complained of, rftltheythinkofdifmiflingthe Arke: Grearercroffesdoe commonly fwallowuprheleffe: At leall, !effer evils ~te either filem, or unheard, while the eare is filled with the clamor of greater. Their very Princes were punin1ed with the Mife,as well as with the Emerods; God knows no perfons in the execution ofjudgmenrs; the leall and meanell ofall Gods creaturesisfafficiem tobe the revenger of his Creator. God fent them Mife,and Emerods of flefb and o1ood: they returne himboth thefe ofgold,to imply,both,that thefe judgements came Ollt from God, and· thar tbeydidgladly give himthegloryofthar, whereof he gave rhem paiae "na forrow 1019 /
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