LIB.Xlll. S ~ u L a11tl A G A o. lOt-~ A grounds,and furnilh rhe markers. 0 hypocrit<S, did God fend you for oaine or for -- revenge ~ Vvenr you to be purveyours,or executioners ~ Ifyou pkad,tharall rhofe wealthy herds had been bur loll, in a fpe«iy death, chink ye thar he knrw nor rhts which commanded it~ Can that be loft,which is devoted to rhe will ofthe owner and Creator~ Or can ye think ro gain anythmg by difobedience ~ That man ea~ neverdrher doe wdl, or fare well, which thinks, there can be more profit in any thing,chen in his obedience ro hi~ Maker: Bc<au(e Sa11/lJTcp the \>e{tofthe men, the people fpared rhe beft ofrheqttle,eacl!iswilling to avoyr orhor in thdin.The fins ofrh<great command imiratiot~,and doe as fddome goe wirhomarrendams as theirper[Qns. Sa•lknew well, howmuch hf hod done 'lmirfe, and yet dare I<Jter Samuel, and B <an fay, Mitjfed ~' th011o[tlx L.-J, I have jt~lftUcJ the Comm"?Zt{ttr.t~l Vjtbe ?"J: His hrart knew,that his tongue was~s f~lfc1 as his hands b,cl been 1 anlf ifhis h~art had nor beenmore falfc then either of them, ndrher of them had been fo g~orfe .lrt thtirfllllhoo<l: Ifhyp9crifie wereaoreithtr foqlilh,orimpuqenr,fiJedurft pot Jhei'/ bor beadto a Seer ofGod.Could S•ql think,th•t ~•mue/knew ofrhe alfes that were loft, and did not know of the oxenand lheep, that were fpJred ~ Could he foretell his thoughts,whenit was,and now not know qfhis open actions~ Much krfe when we h•ve to doe with God himfdf, (hpuld dillimularion prefume eirher offaf<ty or fccrefie. Cqn the <iod tljat made tile heort nor know it~ Can he, that comprehepds all things, be fuut out ofqurclofe ~ornns ~ ~4PI was qrherwife crafty enfiugh, ye; be~in his fimp!icity is palbable : Sin canbefQt tVfO thnyifell mqn, andrqere was c nev<r bwt folly in wickednoJI'e. No man brags fo much ofholipdfe, ~·he t)Japnnts it : Trui! obedience i~ joy. ned ever with humili;y, and fcare pfuqlmown qrour~; :i'aHhood is bold, and can fay,T /t#<!t foifiUu/the C•m,.,aRdttntllt ofdc Lonf.-lf Sa~/ had b~en truly obfei!Bious and holy., heh~d =de no noyfeoflr: A g:acious hqrt is po;a bl3l?ofhis r<ingue1 but refts an·d reJoycerh filenrly 10 rhe contc~ce ofa fecret ~oodneJf<; thofe v~{fefs yeeld moft found,rhachave the lCol,{t~uor:S'~•'/Ipd rqfqo ro belee>.<e rh<: lheep, and oxen,above s ""l;thrir bleatinga lowiqgwas a ful!iciel)tconviC<ion qfa donjed and out- faced difobeditnce: God open;d;l]eir mourhes tQ aq:ufe !fa~/ ofcheir life,ancl.his fallhood ; bur,as fin is crafry,and t'(evehvance<l a t)<,lak,w.herewirh both to hide •nd dec~ it felfc; even this very rebellion is holy : Firll rh< a~, if it it wefe b evill, was not mine !M tbe peopks; and fecondly,theirinrenrionmakes itgood i For thefe Flocks and H~rds were preferved, not £or gain, but for devotion : \Yhat netds this quarrell t If any gain by rhis aa, it is rllf! J..ord tht God :His Alt~)'S {hall fmoke with rhefe f~~Crifices ; ye,that fcrve at them,tlpll fare o.much the bettor; this godly rhriftinelfe toaks for thank$ rat)1er t11.<n c;entut·e. If Sau! had been in Samut/1 cloa.ches,perhaps this anfwerwould have fari1fied hin1: Surely,bimfelfe (bnds out init,as thutwhereto he c\aresrruft;?nd altar !;le hqres ofGods angry reproofe, he avowes,and doubles his hc;>ld ofh)~innocency; asjf r\le Commanders t11ould not anf,verfouhc known fins ofthe pcqple;ns ifour intentionscould julli.Re ustQ G.od, again(! God. Howmoch adoe is it to bring.Jinners upon rheir k~es, •nd tt;>' Ih}ke their tongues accufe their hands ~ But it is no halting with the maker oftile hem: E He knew it was covetoQfnerfc, andnot piety,which .was accclfary w th~ fo;l;>earanee ; ~nd if it liad be<n as was pmend<d1 he knew it was an odious impiety to raife devotionout ofdifol;>tdiencc: 34MI !hall heJTe and fiooe,that he hat~<kaltno lcrfe wicked~ infpafingan o.Ag•g, then in killing an innocent ifraelit< 1 i~J fparing rhefe beafu or facrifice,then in facri6cing beolls that had been uncleane.Whywa.s facrifice it felf r.ood, but becaufc i1 was commanded ~ What difference was ther,e berwixrilaugh tr and facrifice,but obedience~Tofacrifice difobedi<:ntly,is \Vilful!y J to mock God in honouring him. 'f ttt The - ·'• ..
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