1010 [of)templations. · L 1 n.X li. row ; and th-t they would willingly ouy offtheir paine with the bdl of their fub- A fiance: .The proportion bmvixt the comp!Jior and fatisfaClion i; more precious 10 lmn,then the M.tall.1 here w:<s a pubhke confeffion 1n thiS refemblance,which isfo ple:1ling unto Gud,rh:tt he rcw:trds ir,evc:n in \ovicked m~:n,wirh :t rt:bx-arion ofour. ' ward punifhmtm.The num?cr \Vas no kfi"c fignificJm,rhcn tht: form: Fivt golden ' Emerods,and M1fe,for the hve Princes and divifi~ns of Philiflims. AsGod mad• no I· difference in punilhing, fo they llJake none in their oblation: The people arecom- ' prifed in them,in whom they are united,their fcverall Princes:They were one with their Prince, rhdr Offering is one with his ; :ts they wert Ring-leaders in rhe fin fo they mufl be in the faristJClion: In amultitude it is ever /i.ene, as in a beafl: I that the body follows the head. Ofall or hers, great men had need to look to their \Yayes,iris in them,asin fi'gur~s)one fbnds furathoubod: One Offering fcrves not B all, there mull be five,accordmg to the five heads of the oflen£e. Generalities will not content God;every man mufl make his feverall peace,ifnor in himfdf,yet inhis head:Nature t2ught them a ihadow ofthar,the fubflance and perfeClion whereofis taught us by the grace ofthe Gofpel;every foule mufl farisfie God,ifnot in it fdf, yet in him,in whomwe ore both one,and abfo!ute:we are rhe body,whtteofChri!l is the head, ouriin is in our fdves,our fatisfaClion mull be in him. S•mutl himfdfcould not have fpoken more divinely,then thefe Priefls ofDJgon; they do noronly talkofgiving glory to the God oflfrad, bur fall into an holy :md grave expollulation (wherefore then fi10uld ye harden your hearrs,as theAlgyptians, and PharA#h hardned their hearts, when he wrought wonderfully amongfl them~ &c.) They confdfe a fupereminenr and revenging hood ofGod over their C gods,they porallel their plagues with the Algyptian; they make ufe of Ph"r ""' fin, and judgement;WhJt could be better faid~ All Religions have afforded them,that : could fpeak well: Thefe good words left them flill both Phili!lims, and fuperflitious:How fi10uld menbe hypocrites,ifthey had not good tongu.s~yet(as wickedneffe .can hardly hide it fefe) thefe holy fpeeches are not without a tincture ofthat Idobrry,wherewith the heart was infeCled: For they profeffe care not ondy ofthe perfons,and lands ofthe Philiflims, but oftheir gods; (that he may take his hand from you, and from your gods.) Who would thinkthat wifdomeand folly could! lodge fo neere together~ that the fame men lhould have care both ofthe glory of the true God,and prefttvarion ofthe falfe ~ That they lhould be fo nine,as eo take thought forrhofe gods which they granted.to be obnoxious unto an higher De1tie~ D Ofttimes even one word bewrayeth a whole pack offalfi10od, and though Superllition be a cleanly counterfeit, yet fome one flip of the tongue difcovers it, as we fay ofdevils, which though they put on faire formes, yet are they knowne by their cloven feet. What other warrant thefe fuperflitious Pridls had for the maine fubflance of their advice,! knownot; fure lam,the probJbilityof the event was fa ire; that two Kine never ufed to any yoak,lhould run from their Calves(which were newly filllt upfi·omthem) to draw the Arke home into a cpntrar}' way, mufl needs araue an l1andabove nature: What dfe ihould over-rule bruit crearuresro prtfer a forced cariJoe unto.a natura !I burden-: Wh:1t fhou1d c:ury them from thuir owne home, rowa~ds the home ofrhe Arke ~ Wlm elfe 01ould guide an untamed and untaughr E I Teame,inas right a path roward !frael, as their Teachers could have gone~ What I dfe could make very beafls mor_eWlfe then.their Maflers ~ There 1s a fpectall pro· vidence ofGod in the very mouons ofbnr!rcreanJres;Netther Ph1ltll1ms nor lfta· 1 elires faw ougl,; that drove them, yet they faw them fq run, as rhofe that were led ' by the Divine ConduCl.The reaf011leffe creatures alfo doe the Will ofrhe1r Maker; <very achhar is doneeitherby them, or tO them, makes up the d<ercc of the Almighty; and ifin extraordinary a~!ions and evenr5 his hand i< more vifibk, )'Ct 1t1s no lefiecertainly prefenr inrhecommon. f Littledid the Ifraelires ofBerhlhemelh look for fu<;h a light whiles they wer< I reaping their Wheat in the Valley,as to feeche Arke ofGod come runmng ro 1hen1 without a Convoy;neither can lt be fa1d,whether they were m or< affe&cd IV ItA Joy, · or --- -· -
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