Contemplations. LIB. XVI. llice, 1< was 1110« rrrrour chat God intended in the vifible fhape of his Angell and A deeper bumiliarion1and whoc he meant,he wrought;Never foule could be m or~ de. jee!ed,more anguifhed with the fenfe ofa judgement; in the bitternelfewhereofhe cryes cut, Btb,ld I hAvt jinntd,J'" I h,.,, dontwicktdlJ;BIIt thtfi fhttpwh4t h•vt tbty dont: Ltt thine hand, I P"1 'hee,he •g•injl me,antlag•injl f1fJ f•rhm ""•fi. The better any man is,the more fenfible he is ofhis owne IVretchedn~lfe: Manyofthofe Sheep were Wolves roDAvtd; What had they done~ They had done that which was the occa,fion of D•v_ids fin, and the caufe ofthe!r ownepunifhment ; But that gracious penitent knew htsowne fin, he knew not thetrs;and therefore can fay, 1 h•vt fi•ntd Wh•t h•ve they done? It is fafc accufing where we may be boldell; and are bell ac: quainted, ourlclves, • Oh thea_dmirable charitie ofD•vid,that would ha~e ingrotred.the plague to him- B fdfe, and hts houfe, from the rell of Ifrael;and fues to tnt<rpofe htmfelfe betwixt his people and the vengeance;He that had put himfelf upon the pawesofthe Beare and Lyon,forthe refcue of his Sheep,willnowcall,himfelfe upon the f;vord ofthe'Angell, for the prefervation of Ifrael: There was hope in thofe conBie!s; in this yecldancetherecould be nothing but death. Thusdidll thou,O Sonof D•vid, the true and great Shepheard ofthy Church, offerthy fdfe todeath for them who had their hands in thy bloud;who both procured thy deathand deferved their own. Here he offered hi~felfe that had finned forthofe whom heprofelfedto have notdone evill; thou that dtdll no fin, vouchfafedll to offer thy felfc for us that were all fio1 He offe. red and efcaped, thou offeredll, and diedll ; and by thy death we live, and arc freed from everlalling detlrue!i?~· . c But 0 Father ofall merctes, how lt,ttlepleafure doetl thou take in the bloud of Goners~ it was thine ownc pity th>t inhibited the f>etlroyer : Ere DAvid could fee the Aagell thou hadll rellratned him;ll is(•ffi<imt,hlldnortJ thy h•nd: Ifthy compaffion did not bothwithhold and abridge thy judgements, what place were t\lere for ~~0~~ ' Howeafie and jull had it been for Godto have made the !butting up ofthat third evening red with bloud~his goodneffe repents ofthe flaughter; and cals for that Sacrifice wherewith he will be appeafed: An altar mull be built in the threfhing lloore of ArAun•h the Jebufite;Lo,in thatvery Hill where the Angell held the fword of Ahraham from killing his Son,doth God now hold the Sword ofthe Angel! from killing his people;Upon this very ground !hall the Temple after lland;here fhal be the holy Altar, which {hall fond up the acceptable oblationsofGods people in fuccee. D ding generations. 0 God,what was the thrething-floore ofaJebufire to thee above all other foiles~ What vcrtue, what merit was in this csrth ~ As in places fo in pedons, it is not to be heeded what they are, butwhat thou wilt; That isworthiell which thou pleafell toaccept. Rich and bountifull ArA•nith is ready to meet D•vidin fo holy amotion;&munificently offers his Sion fortheplace,his Oxen fortheSacrifice,his Cam,&Ploughs, and other Urenfils ofhis Husbandry for the wood:Two franke heartsare well met; D•vid would buy, AraNnah would giye1 The Jebufirc would not feli,D•vidwill not take: Since it was for God, and eo David, Ara•n•h is loth to bargaine: Since it was E for God,David wi(hetheo paydeare,I ~vill nil_'fer hurnt-l}ferlngs toth: Lord"'J God, sfthAtwhith d11h cofl mtmthmg: Hermcall fpmtsdoewell becomeemment perfom; He that knew it wasbetter to g1ve then to receive,would not receive but give: There can be nodevorioninaniggardlyheut: Asunrodainry palates, fo rothe Godly foule,that talles fw«tdl,that callsmoll : Nothing_is deare e~o~gh for the Creator ofall thiugs It is an heartleffe piety ofthofe bafc-mtnded Chntlians,that careonely to ferve Godgood cheap.
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