1o3o . 1 [ontempl;ai'IJ'nJ. .L1 i.Xl f. leffe.Howfoever it was the reR~iar ofGod~bar gaverhi&l>~ath to Ifr~d and rhis A opportunity to Sa11li courage an\:1 victory: 'Fhe ~nemie~ ofGods Chlfrth ~<tnnot be fo malicious aschey 'vould, can'rilit approve rhemfelves fo' malicious, ~s they ore God fo holdsrhem in fometimes, that a !l:inder-bywould rkink them fo>\"<'lurable: The newes ofGile.KisdiRrdfe a~d foone lilled and afRitled lfracl, the Pc;ople think ofno ~medy, but their pmy·and reares : Ev1ls arq ealilygneved for nor eafily redre!fed: Onely :;.ut is moreRirred with indignario11then rfOrro,vl That God \Ohicb purInto him a fpirir ofprophdie,now puts into him a fpirir offortitude: Ho wa' 5 be! fore appointed to the Throne;not f<ded ih the Throne; he followed the bea!ls in the fiefd, wnen hffhould have Commanded men. o ·Now as one thanvould be aKing no le!fe by merit, then eleClion, he takesupon hhn,and performdrhe refcue ofGilead ; he atfembles Ifrnel, he kadsth~m he rai- n ferh d1e liege, brea~s the croups, curs rhethro~rs of the Ammonites. Whe~ God bath any exploit to perlorme, he raiferh bp the heart offome chofen In!brumem with heroical! motions fbr the atchievement, When oans are cotd and dead it is a-ngne ofintended deRru&i<ln·. . , " ' This day hathmade Saula cornpleat King;and now the rhankfqll Ifradites begin to enquireafter thofe difconrented Mutioers, which had refufed allet:iance unto fo Worthy a Commander (Briwg thofc mm, that''"""Yflay th<m : ) This [edition had deferv.-d dearh,though Saulhadbeen foiled at Gilead ; bUt now his'happy vi&ory whets the people much more to a defireofthis juRexecurion.Sa~~i,to whom the injury was done,hinders the revenge,(Th<r~fh•/1 no"'"' die thiJ day,for today''" Lord hath[.w<dI.fratl) that his fortitude might not goe beyond his mercy. Hownoble C were thefe beginningsof Sartt?Mis prophdie 01ewed himmiraculouflywife,hisBattdl and vi&ory no le!fe valtaRt, his pardonofhis Rebels, as mercifull: There was not more powerfhewed in >0Vercomming thC: Ammonites, then in O'vjCrcommin!! him(elfe,_and the impoyen!maliceofthefe mutinous Ifradites.Now Ifrael fro they have aKmg, that can l>oth fhtd,bl0ud,and fpare lt ; that can lhed the Ammonites bloud,and fpare rheirs'f His'mercywins rhofe heam, whom his valour could not. As in God,fo in his Depuries,Mercy and JuRice fhould be infeparablo:whet;efoever the[etwo goeafunder, gavernmemfollowes them intodillra&ion,&ends in ruioe. !fit had beene a wrong offeredto Samud, the forbearaace of the revenge hacl110t been fo commendable; although upon t~e day offo happy adeliverance,perhapsit had nor been feafonable:·A man bath ri:afon to be moll bold with himfdf; lfis nb D praife ofmercy (fince it is a £1ult in JuRice) to rergir another mans fatisfaction, his owne he may. SA M u .1 L s 'onteflation. one can be a friend to him char profpereth: By this victory bath wellconquered the obftinacy pfhis owne people: New there is noIfraelire that rejoycerh nor in S•u/sKingdome.Nofooner have they done objecting to SiUII, then Samuel begins to expoRulate with them: E . fame day whereinthey began to be pleafed, God fhewes himfdfe angry: All rhepatfagesoftheir proceedings offended him, he defc;rred to let them krtow it rill now, that the Kingdome was fetled, and rhei.r hearrs lifted up: Now ' doth God cook theircouroge and joy, with aback-reckoning fortheir forwardne!fe. God will nor let his people run away with the arrerages oftheir linnes, but when they !call thinkof ir,calls themto an account: All this while was God angry witl1 their rejectionof Samnd; yet (as ifthere had beennothingbur peace) he gives ihem a victory.over their enemies, he gives w~y to their joy in their ele>!lion ; now ne lets themknow' that after their peace-offerings, he hath a quarrel! with them. Godmay be angry er\ough with us,whileswe outwardlyprofper:lr is the wifdome of Godro take his beftadvantages;He fuffers us to goon,rill we fhould cometoenjoy
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