u:z.6 Contemplations. Lte.XVI. dreadfull adverfary:Gre•r parts mif.imploycd cannot but provemollmifchievous : A when wickedneffe is armed with wit, and power, none but a God can defeat ir. when we are matched with •ll:rong and fubtileenemy, it is high time (if ever) t~ be devout; Ifthe bountyofGod have thought good to furnifh his creatures with powers to w•rreagainft himfelle, his wifdome knowes how to tltloe the abufc of thofe powers to the fhame ofthe owners, and the glory ofthegiver. Oh the policyof this Machiavell oflfrael,no le!l'e deepthen hell it felfe! G• in 10 thy{lllhm&ln(tlbines,whi(h hthathl<fl IDkttpthe b•u(e; aniiJOhen alllfr.el fhaU ht4re tha11h1u art abh.,rtdofthy F•ther, the hands •fallthat are withtheefhall be j/T6ng .The firfr care muft be to fecure the fatlion:There canbe no fafety in tiding with adoubt. full rebell:if Ab(•l•m be a traytor,yet he is aSoo,Nature may recurne to it fdfe;Ab. (AI1m may relent, David may remit ; where then are we that havehelpt to promote B th< confpir•cy! the danger is ours, whiles this breach may be peeced; Th<re is no way but to ingage Abf•l•m in fame further act, uncap3ble of torgivenetfe ; Befides the throne, lot him violace the bed ofhis Father;unto his treafon let him ad de an ioceft,noJetfc unnaturall;now flt3ll the worldfee that Abfal•m neither hopes nor cares for the reconciliation at a father;Our quare! can never have any fafe end but victorysthe hope whereof depends upon the refolutioriofour followers; they cannot ue refolute,but upon the unpardonable wickednes oftheir Leader:Neither can this villany be lhamefull enough,ifir be fecret. Theclofenetfeofevillargues fearo, or mod<i!y;neirher ofwhich can !Jefceme him that would bea fuccetfefu!l rrayror:Sct up a Tent on the top ofthe houfe, and let all Ifrael be witnetf.s ofrhy fin, and rhy Fathers fhamt: Ordinary crimes are for vu1gar offenders; Let A6f4l•m fm eminently; C and do that which may make the world at once to b1ufh, and wonder. Who would ever.havethoughtthat Achit•phelbad lived at Court,atthe Counccltable ofa DAvid~Who would thinke that mouth bad ever fpoken wdl ~Yet bad he been nootherchen as the Oracleof God to the RcligiousCouttoflfrael;even whiles he was not wife enough to be good : Policyand grace are not alwaies lodged under one roofe:This man whiles he was oneof Davids deepCounfollors, was one ofDa- ..,idsfoolcs that {aid in rhdrheam, Thert il no G1d; elfe he could not have hoped to make good an evil! with worfe, to build the fuccetfe of treafon upon incefr, Prophane hearts doe fa contrive the plots oftheir wickedoetf~, as if there were no over-ruling power to croffe their defignes,or to revenge them:He that firs in heaven laughs them to fcorne, and fo fargivesway to thcirfins,as their fins may prove D plagues unto rhemfclves. There two Sons of D•vid met with peltilentcounfdl1 A"'n•n is ad vi fed to inceft with his Siller; <.A bfolom isadvifcd ro inceft with his Fathers Concubines:That by I1n.dab,this by Achit•phtl: Both prevaile: It is as eafie at leaft to take ill connfcll,as to give it: Pronctfe ro villany in the great, cannot \vant either projcctorst&devife. or parafires to execute the moll odious fins. The Tent is fprezd (left it fhould not be confpicuouscnough) on the topof the houfe. The atl is done, in the tight ofall Ifrael: Thefi!thineffe ofthe fin was not fo greot, as the impudency ofrhemanner. When the Prophet Nalhan came with that heavy metfage ofreproof<, and menace to.David, afterhis fin with B•thfheba, he could fay from God, Beh1ld I ,.;p r.ifi up eviBag•injl th~t, '"' ofthlneowne h••fe,and E wiU tAke thy Wt<:tJ htforethi71ttyts,&give themtmtllh, neighh•ur,•ndht fh•B li• r~itb thywives in the {igh1 •fthiiSunne:FlY th•udidjl il ftmt!J,butlwiOtlo 1hi11hlng before .11 Ifr.el,.,d hifore thil Sunne, The counfdl of Ac/,ir.phtl,and the lull of wb{itl1111, have fulfilled the judgment of God. Oh the wifdome of the Almighti~, that can ufc the worlt evils,well;and moll juftly mak• the fins of men his e11ecurioners! le was the fin of Rt~ben that be defiled his Fathers b~d 5 yet not io the lame height . of lewdnetfr:whac R•ben did ina youthfull w:mtonnetfe, Ab(Aiom did in a mal~cious iefp•ghc:R•ben finned with one, ...Ab (atom wuh ten; Ruhen fccret!y, Jbfol•mrn the 'r<:n eyes ofheaven and earth;yet old Iae1b could lay of Roben, !h'" fh•ltmt txtdl, I ' hy digmty is g1ne; whiles Achitopbel fayesto Ab{Aiom, ThJ dtgnttyfh•ll uifofmnmctj/ ;Ciimbenp 11th, FAthers btd,ifth•• wilt fit in his thrMe;If A&hil•pbtl were a_p_oii-1 tictan,
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