Contemplations. LrB.XVIII. up to meet Ifrael, They come not to his lerufalem,but hegoes to their S/mhtm: T• A Sheehtmrmt AD!frul e~mtll ""*~him Klwg!lfloyalty drew themtogether,why nor rather to Ierufalem!there the ma1efiy ofh1s fathers Temple,the maoaificenceofhis palace, the very fiones in tholewalls, (befides the firength of his Guard) had plea. ded firoagly for their fubjetlion ; Shecht,. had been many wayes faull was ever way incommodious : It is an infinite ilclpor difadvantage that arifes fr~m circun!. {lane<s 1 the very place puts lfracl in miade ofa rebellion : There .Abimtl<c had raifed uphis trecherous ufurpation over, and again!l: his brethren: There G•ol again!l: vdimtltt: There was Iojtph fold by his brethren : As ifthe very foile had been fiained with perfidioufnc!fc. The time is no lcffi: ill chofen; Reho6D4m had ill coua. fdl ere he bcwraycd it: For had befpcedily called up lfrad, beforc/erohamcould have been fent for out of Egy~t, he had found the way cleere: A little delay may B le<fe a great deale ofopportumty: What lhall we fay of both, but that mifory is led in, byinfatuation ! Had not Ifracl been fomewhat prcdifpofed to amutiny, they had never fem into Egypt for fuch a !pokefman aslmhu•;a fugitive,a traytor toS•I•mon;long had that crafty confpirator lurked in afurraine Court: The allimces ofPrinces are not ever nece!fary bonds offriend!ilip: The brother in law of S•l•m•/1 harbours this fnake in his bolome, and gives that heat, which is repaied with afting to the pofierity of fo neer an allye : And now SAI1m111s death calls him back to his native foile. That lfrael would entertaine a r~bcll, itwas an ill fign<: worfeyer, that they will countenance him; worfi ofall, that they would imploy hi10 : Nothingdo rh more bewray evill intentions, then the choyce of vicious Agents: Thofe that m cane well willnot hazard either the fuccc!fc,or credit oftheir atlions upon offenfiveinfirumenrs:Nonc C but the Outtilhwill wipe their faces with foulc clothes. Upright hearts would have faid, as D•via' did to God, foro his Anointed:D'""' I hAttlhtMthAI h•tt tlmlTt.Z "•" tbtmwith A per fill hatred.Iero~""'' head had been a fit prefcnt to havebeen tendered unto their new King: and now in ftead thereof they tender themfclv~s to /e. r.Po•m, as the head oftheir faaion. Had notl!dJo~,.,. wanted fpirits,he had firft (after SAI1111111s example)done jullice to his fatherstraytor,and thenbaYe treated ofmercy towards his fubjetls: Thepeople foone found the weaknelfcofthcirnew Sovcraigne,clfe they dur!l: not haYe fpo· ken to him by lo obnoxiousa tongue: ThJ fit her m•de our JOakt grltv1111, mdttho• it lighur Andwe wiO flrve thee; Doubtlclfe the crafty head of Im64Am was in thil-fuit, D which his mouthuttered in the name oflfrael; nothing couldhave beenmore {ub. rill:lt fecmed apromifc,it was athreat! that which feemed afupplicat.iii was acornplaint: humility was but availe ofdifcontentment; One h1nd held a paper, the other a fword : Had they faid, Free us from Tributes, the capitulation had bcene groffe, and ftrongly favouringoffcdition :· now they fay E•ft m, they profell'c his power to impofc,and their williogne!fe to yedd;oncly craving favour m the weight ofthe impofition: If Reho~,.,. yecld, he bkmilhcs his father; ifhede11y, he in. dangers his Kingdome:Hiswilfulneffelhall fm11e wort~ily to abandon his fccpter, ifhe ftickat fo unreafonable a fu•t: Surely lfrael came wtth apurpofe to cavill:JerobiAm bad fecretly troubled tbefc waters, that he might filh moregainfully: One male-content is enough re embroilc ~whole Kiogdome. , How hatfl1ly mull: it needs found m the eares of Rthl!oam, that the firfi word he E heares from his people, is aquerulouschalleogeof his fathers government: ThJ fL ther m•deoorJOAI:tgriw•UI: F_or ought! fee, tbe fugge!lion was not.morefpightfull then unju!l:: wherewas thewe•ght of this yoke, the toyleofthe ferviCes? Here \Vcre none ofrhe turmoiles ofwme1 no traynings,marchings,encampings, cntreocbings, warchiogs,mioings,fieges,fortifications, none ofthat tedious world of worke that attends bollility; S•t.mo/1 had not his name for nought : All was calmeduring rbat long raigne: and ifthey had payed dearefortheir peace, they had no caufe to complaioeofan hard match 1 The warlike times of S••l and David had cxhaufiedthcir blood together with their fubllance;what ingratitudewas this to cry out ofcafe~Y ea but that peace brought forth cofily and laborious buildings : Gods houfe, an~ the IC1n~s,
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