~~6 ~- Contemplations. . L 1 a. XVI. --- G•ti, t~< c1J •f my (illv•tion, •nd "'1-""!.'" /hall I.'Jfi•Uy fing •fthy rtghtmfiuffi, I A . ; IfGodwould~akeaccount ofb'.ood, hemighthaycen:red theaelionup.onthe blood of Pri•h fptltby D•vzd; or (1fhe would rather mfill 10 S•#ls houfe) upon rhc hlood of A6J,.tltch the Prieft,and foure~co~eand live perl?ns that did wear~ alinnen Ephod; but it plcafc~ the w1fdome and JUllice ofthe Alm1g_hcy rather to call for th• blood ofthe Gibcomte_s,though d_radges of l~racl,and a remnant of1\.motites,Why this~ There was aperJury artcndmg upon this llaughter ; It was an ancient Oath whcrdn the Princesof the congregari6 had bound themfelves(upon Iofhuis le>gue) rorhe Gibeooire~, char they would fufferrhem to live; anoath extorted by fraud, hut folemoe by no kU:c name,thcn t_he Lord ~od oflfrael;S••lwillnow thus late,eithor nor acknowledge I!, or not keep Jt:out ofhts zcale therefore to the children oflfrael & Iu~ah, he roots ?Ut fome of_rhe G_ibeonires, whether i11 a_zeal ofrevenge ofthei; B lirfr 1mpollure, ono a zcalcofmlargmg the potfdlions of llrael, or in azeal ofexecuting Gods charge upon the brood of Canaanites; he char fpared Ag•g whom hee thouId have fmirten,fmires the Gibeonires whom helhould have fpared : Zeale and good intention is no excufe,much lelfe awarrant for evill: God holds it an high in. dignitythat his name lllould be fworne by,and violated, Length oftime cannordif. pcnfe with our oathcs, with our vowes: The vowes and oathes ofothers may bind us,howmuch more our owne':' There was a fJminein Ifrael; a naturall man \Vould have afcribed it unto the drought;& that ~~ought perhaps'? fome conltellarions;DAvidkoows to lookhigh· er; and fc<s a dtvme hand fcourgmg Ifrad for fomc grc:ar offence, and ov<r-ruliog thofe fecond caufes to his moll jullexccutions. Even the mofi quick-lighted world- C ling is pore-blind to fpiriruall objeels, and rheweakcll eyesofthe regenerate pierce the heavens and efpie God in all earthly occurrences. Sowell was D•vid cquainted with Gods proce.di•.lgs,that he lnew the removal ofthe judgement mull begin at the fatisfaetion of the wronged At once therefore dorh he pray unto God, and trear with the Gibeonites; what /hall! doe for yo•, •nd wherett~ith jhali I m•ke the Atonemrnt, th•t 1 m•1 hleffe I be inherit•nct ofthe Lord? In vainc Ill uld D•vid (though a Prophot) blclfc lfrad. if the'Gtbeonitcs did nor blelfe them: Injuriesdoneusondrthgive uspowerin bctven; The opprelforisinno mans mcrcy,bur his whom heharh trampl~d upon. Little did the Gibeonites think that God had fo talen to heart their wrongs, that for their fakes all Ifrad thouId fuffcr, Even when we think noro~ir, is the righr<ous D Judgc_avenging our ~~righteous ve~ations.' Our hard meafures cannot be hid from him,hts rcturnes are htd from us,It 1s fuffictent for us, that God can beno more negleeiive, then ignorant of our fufferings. It is now in the powerofthe(: defpifed Hivires to make their ownetermes with Ifrad; Neither Silvrr, nor Gold will favour with them toward their fatisfattion; nothing can expiate the blood of their father11 bur the blood offeveo fons oftheirdcceafed perfecuror; Here was no orher then a juft retaliation; S•ui had punilhed in them the offenceoftheir predecelfors1rhey will now revenge S•uls fin in his children; The mcafure wee mere unto others, is with much equity re-meafured unto our felves: Every death would not content them of S••ls fons,bur a cur fed and ignominious, hanging on the Tree; Neither would rhar death content them unlelfe their owne hands might be the executioners; Neither E would any place ferve for the execution bur Gibeah, the Court of Saul; neither would they doe any of this for thewroakingoftheirowne fury, bur for the appcafing ofGods wrath, We,.;!/ h•~gthem up umothe LordIn Gi~t4h 1[ SANI. • DAvid mi~ht nor refufe the condition: he mull deliver, they muft execute : He choofes out fcven of the fons,andgrandchildren of s ••I; That houfe had raifed long an unjull perfecurion againll D•vid, now God payes it upon another fcore. Dlvids love and earh ro Im•th#n,prcferves lame Mtphihefheth:How muchmorcfhallrhe Father ofallmercies do good unto the children ofthe falrhfull,for the covenant made with their Pareocs ~ . The five fonnes of Adritl the Meholathire, D•vlds ancient rivall in his lirft love, which were borne ro him by Merab, Sauls Daughter, and brought up by her barren li!ler
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