I I I ~ !' [ontemplationr. Lr a.XI I. they could not fay fo,butfrom him, whom they defie infaying fo, and who makes A thctr tongue rhctr execuuoner. No focner cloth Jon.zhall kare. this invitatio~, then he anfwers it : He, whofe hands had learned never to fltk Ius hean,puts himft!f I!POll his hands and knees to climb up into this.danger: thcexpl~it was not more difficulr,~henthe way,the pain ofthe paff.1gewas equal! to the penll ofthe en;erpnfe; that hts faith might equally' trmmph,over both: he doth not fay,how (ball I get up~ much lelfe,which way !halt' I get down again~ but as ifthe ground were Ievell, an4 theaaion dano-crh:Jfc he puts himfelf into the view ofthe Phili!!ims: Faith is nev.er fo.glorious~ as wh~n it bathmoll Of>pofition, and willnot fee it: Re~[oq!ooks e~eqo themeanes, Faith to the end; and m !lead ofconfultmg,how to ei!eC!:,refolves whatJhitllbeeffc:Clcd.The way io heavenis more fleep,more painfull: 0 (;od! how pcr!l!ous a pail'a•e haft I3 thou appointed for thy labouring Pilgrims~ If difficulties wilJ difcpurage us ,!/e fball but dimbe to fall : When we are ljfnng up our ,f.oon? the !all Llep, thor~ are the Phth!hms ofdeath,ofteMptanons,to graf.ple With; g1ve us but faith, and \Utne us loofe to the fpight either ofEarth or Hd • • 1011athan 1s now on tne top of,thehill,and no\::1 as ifhe ~ad an ann¥ at hishcelc:s, he £!yes upon thehofl ofthe Ph!h£hws.; h1s hamts that mi&htlJavebm we;~r.y with climbing,are immediately cO~l!lj\llded to fight,and. deal as many d<athsas hJslwes to the amazed enemy : He neeq<;li qo,t walk farr< fwthis e:xecuqon ; Himfelf~, and hisArmour-hearer in one half~ a<,~ij{pace h~ve flaine tw~nty Philiflims. I;j~ not long fince J•narhan fmote their GariCon inthe 'hillpf Gepa;)!ef~a.Ps,from th~ttim~ his name and prefence carr.yed terrc;>r in it; but fu1e if rho Phihilims hadqgr.feene C and felt more then a man in the face and bnds o~ ~ffiatha!J. th;y h~q ~~ fp e~a\y grovelled in dellh: The blowes and fi1rickc;s cannqrbutal!(:4the f1exc, \\[go 'JI'$h a ghaflly noife ran away frt>m death, andaffrighrr.l)eil ~e}lawes fl'l leifc: Jil;l;n'TIJ<j!n• felves are affrighted. Thecbmourand feare runsanlike firr i~ a rraine, to rheyery formoflranks; Ever)t man would flye, and rbinks thereisfo ITiuch more ~~uf~of flight, for that his cares apprehend all,hiseyes ~thing: Each m,aq thinks ~is fellpw flanils in his way,and t\Jerefore in flead ofturnil)s upon himwhich was till' caufeof their flight, they bend their fwords upon t~ofe. wJwm they imagine to be the hinderers oftheir flight; and now amiraculous aflopi!l)ment hath mac{e the Philiilims, 1 Junatham Champions,and Executioners ; He followfs, and kills thofe which bel- ~ I ped to kill otners ; and the more he )d)led, the more~hey feared, and fled, and the 0 more they killed each other in the flight: 1nd that feare it fe)f might prevent I•n•- tf,.nin killing them, the Earth it lelftrtmbl~underthem.1;hus cloth God at once finke themwith his owne hand, with Jomtlt.,hs, with theirs 1 and makes r·hem run away from life, whiles they would Aitfrom an enemy. Where. the Almightypur, pufes deflruaion to any peopk,he needs not call in fonain powers,heneeds nqrany hands or weapons,but their own ; He can make va!! bodies c\ie no other deatb,th.en their ownwaight: We cannot be fure to be friends among our felvcs,wbiles God is our enemy. The Philiflims £lye f.1fl, but the newes of their 6ight over. runsrhem even unto Sauls Pomegranate Tree: The Warchmm dif~ern afarrc off,a flight and execmiqq: fearchis made,Jonathan is found milling,Sau/will confult with rfic Ark: Hypocrires E 1 while they have leifure,will perhaps b~ holy:For fome fits ofdevotion they cannot I be bettered. Bur when the tumult encreafed, Sat1/s piety decreafes: It is now no feafon to talkwith a Prie!!;withdraw thine handAhaia!J,the Ephod muftgive place to Armes: It is more time to fightthen to pray;what needs he Gods guidance,when he fees his way before him( Ile that beforewould needs f.1crificc: ere he fought,will now in the other extreme,fight in awilfnll indevotion.Worldly minds regarcl holy duties no furrhtr,then may !land with their own carnal\ purpofes. Veryeafie occalions !hall interrupt them in their religious intentions; like unto children wh,ich 1fa Bird doe bur flye in their way,ea!! theit eye from their hook. . But ifSall/ferve not God in one kinde, hewill ferve him in another, if·he hono~r him not by ar.tendingon the Ark, hewill honour him by avow: His negligence in the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=